


Feeding The Flames

by Le_Roi_Ecureuil



Series: What It Takes [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Swearing, Temporary Amnesia, Trust Issues, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:54:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 60,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22230634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_Roi_Ecureuil/pseuds/Le_Roi_Ecureuil
Summary: Salem wants to end the world. Huren just wants to do her job. Blake just wants to remember. And Yang? Yang just wants to know what the hell is going on for once and what she can do for her sister.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Adam Taurus (past), Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Series: What It Takes [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594699
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31





	1. Blake: Asking

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Heart of Defiance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7896874) by [battlemage15](https://archiveofourown.org/users/battlemage15/pseuds/battlemage15). 



> I've decided to split up Defender on the Rise into separate arcs that, to some extent at least, follow along with the seasons of the show. This puts Feeding the Flames into season 2-3 territory to provide some perspective. Thanks to all my readers who've stuck around thus far and for any new readers, I say welcome, hope you enjoy the story and hold on to your seats.   
> -SK

There was something going on with Yang. Something that was troubling her partner deeply, but she wasn’t talking to Blake about it. 

Noticing it was the easy part. After being around each other for as long as they had, spotting abnormalities, say a jittering knee even when they were alone, was hardly any trouble. 

Yang was more distant than usual, her smile seeming more distracted. Her entire demeanour, actually. On more than one occasion, Blake had caught her girlfriend staring off into space with a thoughtful expression only to be dismissed with a smile when she asked. 

Frankly, her mind was wandering in directions of darker possibilities and was beginning to panic more than a little bit. 

Today was the day she intended to do something in regards to this issue. She was going to find out what was going on with her partner. 

Hands combing gently through golden locks, Blake hummed to herself, enjoying the rare silence in the room. 

Ruby was dangling from her bunk, playing video games, headphones on. Weiss was buried in her studies at the library, having declared that she needed to somehow improve her, already perfect, grades. Which left Blake and Yang in the former’s bunk, Yang’s eyes closed as the brawler dozed. 

Tranquillity. The word bounced around in Blake’s skull and her ears tilted back at the thought of breaking this rare peace and quiet. 

Apparently, her indecision had led to the cessation of her ministrations and Yang cracked open one eye. “Blake?” she asked sleepily. “Is everything okay?”

Though not fully aware of what was going on, Yang’s gaze was one of warmth and mild concern. The other eye opened to fix on her as eyebrows furrowed together. 

She shook her head, renewing her motions. “I’ve just been meaning to ask if you wanted to talk about what’s been bothering you so much recently,” she said quietly after a moment’s pause. 

Confusion flickered across Yang’s face, but she didn’t move out of Blake’s lap, which was a comfort. “What do you mean, Blakey?” she asked with a guilty amount of innocence in her voice. 

It would’ve been so ease to just leave it at that. And yet, her mind refused to be placated by a plea of ignorance. So, she elaborated, “You’ve been sort of distracted by something recently and it sort of feels like you aren’t telling us something.” _Like you aren’t telling me something_ , she added silently. Distantly, she wondered if Yang would hear the addition anyway, like she sometimes was able to. 

A careful frown led Blake to believe that this was, in fact, one of those occasions. “I’ve been worrying you, haven’t I? I’m sorry, Blake. I’ve just been working over a few things and guess I got a little wrapped up in it.”

“Like?” she pressed gently, tilting her head. 

Still, Yang’s body didn’t rise, though her hand did to rest on Blake’s cheek, guiding her down into a gentle kiss. Unfortunately, the sweet gesture was somewhat lost when paired with the uncomfortable stretch in her lower back and core. Pulling back up, she found Yang smiling once more, somewhat dazed. 

“It’s nothing important, Blake,” the brawler promised, finally getting up into a half-hearted attempt at sitting criss cross. 

Skeptically, Blake pressed, “You’re sure?”

Yang nodded, opening her arms for an embrace that Blake yielded to before asking, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Warmth rolled off of Yang in gentle waves, much like a heater would, leading to Blake curling into her with a soft nod. Her unease still ate away at her, but if Yang said it was nothing, then Blake owed it to her girlfriend to believe her. Right?

If there was one thing about Yang, it’s that she was honest. She’d given Blake countless reasons to trust her and believe her words. 

So, why was she thinking of secrets and angered blue eyes?

“Blake?”

She blinked, looking up at her partner, who was looking down worriedly. 

“Are you okay?” Yang asked her, loosening her hold. Blake knew that it was the blonde’s way of providing her an out, a means of escape if she was uncomfortable. 

A sigh, then, “I think I’m just a little thrown off that you don’t want to talk about it. But if you say it’s fine, then it’s fine.” Yang’s jaw twitched so quickly that Blake wasn’t sure if she’d actually seen it or not. Blake squeezed tighter around Yang’s middle and she added, “Can we watch that new action-adventure Ruby’s been suggesting for a couple weeks?”

For a moment, it looked like Yang was going to press the point, but she let it go. “Alright,” she relented, tapping on her Scroll until the desired film was pulled up. They shifted until Blake was resting against Yang’s chest, between her legs, able to hear the strong heartbeat of the brawler. 

They watched the movie in relative silence, discussing the protagonist’s stupid decisions here and there until a curious reaper grew bored and wandered over. Immediately, Ruby was in their space until Yang gave in and scooted over to make room for her baby sister. Ruby chattered excitedly about how she’d been dying for them to finally see it and wasn’t this an awesome movie types of topics.

All while Yang, being who she was, agreed before gently shutting down her sister so they could get back to it. After that, Ruby was wholly enraptured by the film, watching with fascination and interest. 

Blake tried to focus on the movie, really, she did. But it was understandably difficult with the warmth of her girlfriend around her and Yang’s soft breath drifting across her ears now and then. Sleepiness crept along her being until she was bobbing, more in tune with Yang’s breathing than with the explosions on screen. It didn’t help that Yang had, at some point, began tracing little patterns on her hand. 

Everything went all fuzzy, sounds and visuals alike, encompassed as she was. She didn’t realize how far gone she was until her shoulder was jostled. 

Jolting upright, her head bumped into Yang’s cheek and guilt flooded through her until she heard Yang’s warm chuckling. “Hey there, sleepy, movie’s over,” her girlfriend murmured, bringing about a fresh flood of embarrassment. 

“How long?” she whispered, looking to her side to see her leader thoroughly glued to the screen. 

Yang shifted under her ever so slightly, an arm moving to snake around her middle. “Not very long, maybe thirty minutes, Ruby’s just waiting for the after-credit scene.”

“Aha! You can’t just kill Dr. Glory!” Ruby crowed victoriously beside them. “Didn’t I tell you guys? This movie is totally awesome!”

If Blake hadn’t already been awake, she certainly was now. Managing a small smile, she said, “I suppose so, Ruby.”

Ever the ball of energy, the reaper hopped to her feet and stretched her back before asking, “Did you guys want to go to the docks and grab a bite to eat? I know the new semester is kind of kicking everyone’s butt and I figure we could use the bonding time.”

“Sounds good to me, but I’m not going to be the one to drag Weiss from her studies,” Yang said lightly. 

Blake could feel the smile in Yang’s words, knowing her partner meant no harm by them. Though she wasn’t kidding either, not that Blake could blame her. Still, when an opportunity presents itself….

“Why not, Yang?” she asked innocently. “You’re not scared of little old Weiss, are you?”

Ruby caught on to the words and let out a groan. “You guys are gonna get into one of those play-fights that end up with you being all gross and mushy, aren’t you?”

“Whatever are you talking about, Ruby? Mushy? With Blake? Never in my wildest dreams,” Yang proclaimed boldly, though, not bothering to detangle herself. 

Blake leaned further into her buxom chest. “Not even a little mushy?” she asked gently, hand rising and framing itself on Yang’s hip so that she could twist to face her partner, catching those heart-stopping lilac eyes reflecting the mirth she felt. 

Yang seemed to debate it for just a moment before grinning and yielding, “Well, maybe a teeny tiny bit is okay.”

From their side they could practically feel Ruby’s pain as the younger groaned loudly and went to cover her ears. “Gross, gross, gross, gross,” she repeated, shaking her head and rushing for the door, quickly fleeing. Perhaps it was for the added theatrics that Ruby opened the door again shortly to shout a final, "Gross!" before slamming it shut again. The sound of her retreating steps receded into eventual nothingness, signaling her success in absconding. 

They shared a quick look before swiftly dissolving into a fit of shared giggles, collapsing back onto the mattress. 

“Man, she is just too easy to mess with,” Yang wheezed, clutching Blake like she was clutching her side to ease the joyful ache.

“Agreed, but we should probably get ready before Weiss comes in here raising all hell,” Blake commented, only somewhat reluctantly. She pressed up, creating space until Yang let her slip away and off the bed. Affection ran through her when Yang got up as well, hands in her jacket pockets, smiling like at dork at her. “What?”

The smile widened. “You’re really cute with your hair all messed up, is all.”

Yang had to be bluffing. Nevertheless, she rushed to the bathroom to inspect the damage her small nap may have caused. Her girlfriend’s laughter registered in her ears, all sets, as she huffed in annoyance to see that Yang had been, in fact, kidding. Aside from being slightly mussed, her hair was fine and brought up no real concern. Still, the fact that Yang would dare even tease her in such a way. 

Oh, she was going to get the brawler back.


	2. Old Flames, Rekindled

Slapping away at yet another branch, Huren pushed through the thick growth of the forest, ears pricked and eyes sharp. _If Felis were here right now, she’d be swearing up a storm_ , she thought dimly, growing frustrated when her momentary lapse in judgement ended up with her receiving a branch to the cheek. A growl escaped her and she ripped the cursed limb clean off the tree in a burst of her Semblance.

Through a deep breath and a moment of silence, she reeled in her temper, relaxing as best she could. Her jittering nerves were getting the better of her. Something only made worse when a piercing howl cut into the otherwise peaceful silence. 

Of course, the Grimm would choose to return when she did. Her heart sunk and her mind raced to calculate the necessary course of action. If she were to guess, she was still at least half a mile from Lilly’s house and outrunning the Grimm was unlikely. And even if she could, that would only bring ruin to the refuge she sought out. 

While she thought, Tueur flew to her hand and busied itself hacking away at branches and brambles, making way and letting her into a clearing. Huren glanced over her shoulder to make sure the bag she carried was still fully intact. 

When it was, she relaxed ever so slightly, scanning her surroundings carefully. She bore her blade before her, inching forward so she was further from the undergrowth. A dangerous move in a battle of men, but in one against monsters who lurked in the shadows, it was all she really had in terms of advantages. Setting fire to the forest wasn’t really an option given she was unsure if she could keep the burn under control enough for it to be considered effective. 

Her ears were straining to pick up any sort of sound that might give away her enemies, but she was severely stunted, what with her senses being very much human. Roughly translating to the fact that, by the time she could hear them, they’d already be well on top of her. 

In her peripheral, shadows slunk by, red winking at her now and again. Low growls and snarls began emanating from the undergrowth on all sides. Huren stopped in the center of the clearing and turned in a slow circle with her jaw clenched. It didn’t take a sharpshooter to spot the flashes of white and red or even the black amidst the greenery that was the Emerald Forest. They were gauging her and possibly themselves. Unless they were in a pack, Grimm didn’t tend to work together. 

“What is this, an intervention?” she demanded loudly, calling their attention, letting them know she felt no fear. Automatically, her feet slid about shoulder-width apart, knees bending and breathing slowing to prepare for a fight. “Because I’m not ready to talk about my problems,” she finished, letting her Semblance consume her. 

Anger rose in her, bloodlust. It bubbled up and burst, revealing sharp edges that weren’t fine in the slightest. Consuming her from within until it became her, until she was trembling where she stood, but not in fear. No, she was trembling in anticipation and excitement. 

She drew in a breath and it tasted crisp before it turned to smoke on her tongue. A devilish smile curled at her lips as she reveled in the sudden surge of freedom and power that overcame her. 

This all lasted for one quiet moment that seemed to disintegrate like paper in a flame. But she never expected so many Grimm to rush all at once. 

They melted away from the trees in rushes of pure evil. Beowolves, King Taijitu, Ursai, Boarbatusks, all of them flooded from the tree line. Whole packs came at once, making her wonder if every Grimm she should’ve ever encountered chose now to make their appearance. 

Unnatural was the way they attacked. Grimm this young should never be able to concentrate or have the mind to plot an orchestrated attack such as this one. Not alone or without serious intervention anyway. Her breath caught briefly before she collected herself and corrected it. Giving in would only fuel them.

Not missing a beat, she launched into action, her Semblance burning a threat around her. Tueur was explosively radiating her Aura. Each time it collided with Grimm, a spark gave way to a small bomb. Fire whipped around Huren’s head like a helmet as she worked. Some of it flickered past her lips in time with her breath. 

An Ursa managed to slip under her blade and reared up for a heavy swipe that she rolled under, right into another Beowolf that wasted no time in snapping at her. Its jaws clamped down on air as she twisted, dispatching it with her sword and regaining her feet. She leapt clear of a charging Boarbatusk. It sailed through the area she’d just been a heartbeat ago. Huren didn’t waste the precious seconds she gained listening to its rage at missing. 

Tueur raised to block the fangs of a King Taijitu. The force of the giant serpent sent her heels deeper into the earth. Overhead, a screech followed by projectiles. 

Pointed feathers shot into the soft earth and into a couple of the Grimm that she was fighting. “Oh, come on,” she lamented, just managing to dodge another Ursa. Or maybe it was the same one, Huren found it rather difficult to keep track in the thick sea of darkness that threatened to engulf her. Something bit into her Aura and she whirled, slamming into the closest creature with her back. The Beowolf that had clung to her yelped as it met the tusks of a Boarbatusk. She dug deeper until it relinquished its hold and she was able to roll backwards over the creatures and on the back of the Boarbatusk. 

It reared up to buck her off, but she held fast, guiding it into the claws of an Ursa before leaping free. Tueur made quick work of another Beowolf before the Nevermore let loose another volley of deadly feathers. 

She slid under the Boarbatusk she’d ridden as it disintegrated and buried her blade in the chest of an Ursa. The great beast bellowed in pain, falling forth and shielding her from the volley. Its form soon vanished as well, exposing her again. What was once a game of elimination had turned into one of dodging and praying for the best. 

Tueur struck as true as it always did and Huren did what she could to dispatch everything. The problem was that, no matter how many she took down, more seemed to flood in, taking their places. And without the Nevermore getting directly involved, something that seemed very unlikely, Huren wasn’t sure how the battle would end. 

A faint hiss was her only warning before a King Taijitu snapped forth and tried taking her whole. Huren stumbled backwards, stabbing back into an Ursa to try evading. Blue flame leapt from her blade, engulfing the bear-like being. It roared loud enough to rumble in Huren’s chest. 

Even with her Semblance boosting her senses and reaction time, this couldn’t persist forever. The constant strain on her Aura was taxing and draining her far too much, far too fast. Breaths escaped in sharp huffs through clenched teeth and she could actually feel herself slipping up. Tueur’s strikes seemed heavier with each swing and it sent jarring impacts up her arms. 

Exhaustion was gripping at her, but it was desperation that kept her moving. Even when the snarls of Grimm blurred together and her ears were instead perceiving the clash of metal on metal. 

“It’s not real,” she panted, begging herself to focus on the actual fight. A slip up now would mean certain death. And a quick one was not promised. 

Her Semblance burned and so did she. The flames licked around her neck and made claims to the bare skin around her hands. Her body’s muscle memory was taking over as her mind fought for control of itself. Vision fading in and out. When she could see, it was through a blazing haze. She had no other option but to give into the fight and dive further into the fire. 

The experience was like the very first time she discovered her Semblance. When her very core burned bright enough for her to rise and push on when she wanted nothing more than to lay down and die. Back then, it was a spark, waiting to be fed. Now, it was a conflagration and, what was once revitalizing, was becoming awfully smoldering. A snarl sounded in her ears. It was different from that of the Grimm, deeper, more ancient. 

Just as she recognized it to have come from herself, everything disappeared in a flash of blue flame and she was falling. Her eyes opened and she watched as she did, falling through an off-white sky with perfect clouds until she landed on a yielding surface.

What was strange was that she wasn’t winded from the drop. Nor was she tired from the fight that she’d just been in. Wait, the fight. 

Huren got to her feet, whirling around and trying to locate Tueur to no avail. Wherever she was, whatever this was, her beloved blade was not with her. Panic rose up in her, choking her and turning her breaths shallow and rapid. 

That is, until a soft giggle reached her ears. 

The sound was unmistakable. Her back stiffened and she turned slowly, eyes settling in disbelief on someone she’d thought long gone. Huren’s mouth dropped open, her heart thudded painfully in her chest. 

“Hey, goofy,” Felis greeted warmly, affection making her eyes sparkle. “You’ll catch flies like that,” she teased.

Huren was frozen in place, mind working overtime to try and come up with a rational explanation to what this was. Tears that she wasn’t entirely aware of slid down her cheeks. “Felis?” she asked, hesitant and fixated. 

Her love dipped her head once in affirmation and that was enough for Huren to stop thinking entirely. “Felis!” she shouted joyfully, a grin curling her lips and lifting her heart. 

As though the sound of her name drew her, Felis seemed to glide closer, eliminating distance that had no right existing in any world. Huren finally shook herself of her stupor enough to rush forward and scoop her lover up in a tight embrace. There was a book between them, one that Felis had been holding. 

For whatever reason, Huren didn’t even need to see the title of it. The tome was _Le Petit Prince_ , it had to have been. It was Huren’s favorite book. The one she used to teach Felis bits and pieces of French. 

The tears began falling in earnest now and they weren’t stopping anytime soon. Fat tears that slipped down her cheeks in hot streaks as she choked and coughed on her emotions. Huren found herself entirely unable to articulate any of the words she so desperately needed to say, only able to gasp out Felis’ name now and then. 

Despite this, Felis seemed to understand and began running a steady hand through Huren’s hair, shushing her softly. Felis led her down until they had sunk to the ground, settling in a way that made sense to them. Huren’s arms were tight around her love, her back resting on the ground. She kept her face buried in Felis’ shoulder, and did her best to ease the tremors in her shoulders. 

“Where?” she asked hoarsely, hating the grainy quality that colored her voice, wrenching free of her throat. If she was being completely honest with herself, Huren wasn’t sure what she meant by the question, only knowing it needed asked. 

Never ceasing in her ministrations, Felis explained, “Well, we’re sort of in a lot of places right now. You’re still fighting that enormous horde of Grimm. But you’re also here with me, and in some way, I’m still in the afterlife, waiting for you to finish this grand adventure and not come to me a moment too soon.” Huren found herself immensely grateful for the continuity. It gave her something to focus on aside from the intensive wave of emotion and desire that shook her to her very core. 

She drew in a breath, taking in the familiar scent of her love, of home and found herself still smiling. Dust, she felt like a right mess. “I miss you. I love you. _Oum_ , I miss you so much, Felis. Every day we’re apart feels like a lifetime and it hurts so much,” she rambled, the words pouring out of her. Nothing felt like it was able to justify and accurately describe the abyss within her that came with the loss of Felis. 

While the hands didn’t exactly stop, they slid down to work between her shoulders and had Huren drawing in a deep, shuddering breath. Felis had always known her back was incredibly sensitive to light touch. Her whole body was, but her back was especially so. Which is why it was so rewarding for the fingers to dig into flesh and provide the exact sort of pressure that Huren craved so desperately. A low groan slipped from her and Felis giggled again. 

In that moment, Huren was unconvinced that she wasn’t dead and that this wasn’t a heaven of some sorts. Either that or this was her hell and the punishment had yet to begin. She didn’t care either way. Not with Felis in her arms. 

Felis’ voice convinced her to pull back to look up at her lover and drink her in. She said softly, “Huren, we need to talk.”

“Then let’s talk, Fey,” she breathed, eyes roving and capturing every little detail they could, committing them to memory. From the subtle curl of the left side of her mouth to the dusting of freckles that trailed from her left eye towards her ear. There was the tiny scar just above her jawline from where she’d picked at an old scab one too many times, despite Huren’s fussing and protest of the action. It was small enough to be negligible, but Huren remembered, making it easier to spot. Then, she let herself get swallowed up in the love and warmth that radiated from bright green eyes. They told her everything she ever needed to know about herself. She was Felis’. 

A moment passed, stretched between them as Felis seemed just as lost in Huren as Huren was in her. A knuckle dug in deeper in Huren’s back, making her hum contentedly. Felis smiled sweetly, raising a hand to cup Huren’s face. “Good,” she said and that smile turned sad, flipping Huren’s heart upside down. “Huren, I need you to move on from me.”

Huren’s heart stopped for a different reason and the thought that she may have found herself in a hell popped up again. She just stared, her blood frozen in its tracks. No, Felis wouldn’t ever. “Fey, what’re you saying, you know I can’t do that,” she tried saying, smiling in the hopes that her love would say she was just kidding, but it was steadily draining away. When Felis was silent, she got up and took a step back, caught by Felis’ arms. The hold was just loose enough that she didn’t feel threatened, but didn’t do much for her pain.

Wistfulness and sorrow reflected in Felis’ eyes. “I’m truly sorry, mea vita, I know this is hard for you, but please,” she told Huren, a hand dropping and intertwining with Huren’s. Their foreheads pressed together, old habits die hard, and their eyes met. Teary lilac met with their saddened, emerald counterparts in a way they hadn’t for years. Doing her best not to crush the fingers interlaced with hers, Huren tightened her grip. 

She was shaking, her head shook back and forth. “I can’t, Fey, I can’t lose you, Felis, please,” she choked out. 

“You’re not going to lose me, Huren,” Felis promised gently. “But don’t you think it’s time for you to be happy again?”

“I am happy,” Huren argued weakly, “right here, right now.” Deep down, she knew the effort to be entirely futile, but she couldn’t help it. Burying herself in chestnut tresses, Huren did her best to hide away from the thought alone. 

A soft sigh. “Huren, don’t lie to me.” Her heart shattered. Felis detangled herself, creating distance. She raised a hand when Huren reached out again. “You’re making yourself miserable like this. You can have a family, move on and live your life.”

“What life is for me without you?” she asked, falling to her knees. Standing was asking too much of her. Felis was the pillar keeping her upright. “You were everything to me.”

“Not everything is gone, Huren,” Felis soothed. “You have Yang.”

Bitter laughter. Huren wanted to be free of this. “Right, and how great that must be for Yang. Having a twin who’s nothing more than a self-destructive, masochistic, abused girl with a whole universe worth of other issues and insecurities to cope with.

“I am ruined, Fey. Between what Raven did to my psyche, losing you to _Adam_ , and my own brother turning on me and trying to murder me, I’m not sure there’s even anything left to fix.”

Felis didn’t move to close the distance between them, despite the desire and pain that Huren could see in her eyes. In an effort to stop herself from doing the same, Huren clenched her fists and tucked them under her armpits. 

Pain in her voice, Felis asked, “What about Lilly then?” Huren flinched as though she’d been struck. “You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Through great efforts, Huren raised her head and took in her lover. She couldn’t keep the tremble out of her voice when she said, “Maybe not, but it is my life and I don’t want to trouble anyone with the mess that I’ve become. I don’t want Lilly to think that she’ll always be second to someone who isn’t even around to compete with because that’s unfair to her.”

“Why can’t she be first?”

Fresh tears fell. “You’ll never not be first in my heart,” she answered.

This distance was starting to eat away at Huren and her self-control. Having Felis so close and so out of reach was unbearable. 

As though reading her mind, Felis touched her own arm, something she did when she wanted comfort. Huren wanted to be there, where she was always knew herself to belong. Distance wasn’t supposed to exist between them. They were always as close as possible, making sure nothing slipped too far out of reach. 

Felis said her name and it fell from her lips like some desperate, plaintive thing. Huren looked down, squeezing her eyes shut, shamed and unable to bear meeting her love’s gaze. “We’ll be together again, someday after your mission ends and your story draws to a close. But I need you to promise me that you’ll try to live a life worth living and that yours will be a story worth telling. 

“I don’t have much longer here, I don’t think, and you still have a fight to finish. Plus, I’m not sure your Semblance will sustain itself much longer before it begins feeding on your life force.”

Stubborn to a fault, she said, “I don’t want to live a life without you.”

“I’ll still be with you in your dreams, heart and memory, but please. I’d like to look down and see you smiling again, my brave defender.”

She was right. Huren knew she was, she just didn’t want to accept it. Accepting it was like saying that she was over Felis and ready to go on. And that was an outright lie. But Felis was right, she wouldn’t have anything if she continued on this path she was on. The only end in sight was one of destruction and pain. 

There was another path, another option. One where she fought alongside her twin sister, shared jokes with friends, felt the warm embrace of another. On this path was possibility, prospects, love. She need only seek it out. 

Part of her wanted to laugh again. Her emotions were wildly out of check. She was unable to distinguish joy from pain and sorrow from anger. Instead, she felt it all, exhilarating and draining as it was. She nodded, getting to her feet and nodding again. “I’ll live, and I’ll bring you a story to last a lifetime,” she promised, hoarse from crying.

Felis smiled a little less sorrowfully at that and rewarded her by stepping close and capturing Huren in a tender kiss that she returned without hesitation. Strength flowed into her, new energy seeping into her body. 

“I love you,” she sighed when Felis pulled back.

With a twinkle in her eyes, Felis replied, “I love you too, and I’ll be waiting for the day when we meet again, hearing the tale of the Great Huren Branwen.” Her words were said in a teasing manner that somehow made everything seem a million times lighter. 

In the blink of an eye, Huren was gone, back in the Emerald Forest and wreathed in blue flames. Grimm still surrounded her, but their ranks were greatly diminished. She roared and her flames solidified around her with newfound strength. Tueur hummed in her hands, awaiting guidance into its next victim. The whole blade seemed encompassed in blue. Huren wasn't able to clearly distinguish the two streaks she knew were on the blade. 

She recalled the touch of Felis’ lips on hers, her voice echoed in Huren’s ears and the flames burned yet stronger. Determination seated deep within her, she set about destroying every Grimm that dared to cross her path. A grin spread across her face as she tore apart a Boarbatusk with a well-place swipe and a kick that blew a crater in its side.


	3. Aftermath

Breath escaped her in sharp huffs that she wasn’t entirely in control of. Black spots danced in her vision while dizziness had her mind spinning. Huren clutched tightly at her side which burned white fire. 

Her aura had given out some time ago, before the fight had concluded. Still fresh in her mind, Huren remembered the glorious blaze she’d been engulfed in. Right up until she wasn’t and fangs sank in deep, ripping and shredding. 

Slick heat pulsed against her palm, making it harder and harder to maintain her grip. By sheer will, she kept moving. Laying down and giving in now would only serve to make her an easier target. 

Somewhere deep in her mind, she remembered a late night and a violent storm. Remembered Raven ordering her to rise because they hadn’t yet made it to their refuge for the night. Her legs had been so tired then, her spirit weak. 

Adrenaline pumped through her, gave her what she needed to put one foot in front of the other. 

Truth be told, she shouldn’t have made it all the way to Lilly’s house. She should’ve died a long time ago. Died walking, or crawling, or something. She should’ve died when she fought her mother, when she fought the Broosha, when she fought Adam. 

Her very existence was defiance of the fates. So, when her hand slammed against the door, her legs continued supporting her, albeit, rather shakily. She wasn’t in control of her strength and the knock had rattled the door on its hinges. Head falling against the door in an effort to collect herself, she waited, listening for signs of anything at all. “Felis,” she groaned softly, clinging to the words of her lover for strength. She had a promise to keep. 

There was no response.

Pushing back, swaying dangerously, she tried again, hammering against the door. As a result, the wooden frame complained before swinging wide open, splinters flying every which way. The momentum carried her inside until she could brace against a wall. 

Stitches. She had to stop this bleeding or she’d go into shock and very likely die. Her fingers curled, digging into her wound and had her gasping for breath. Agony spiked, but the pain helped her to focus enough to move towards the living room. She fell to a knee by a small chair-side table, opening the door with shaking fingers, rummaging through miscellaneous items that wouldn’t serve to help her. 

From deep in her throat, she sounded her frustration. To her ears it sounded sort of far away. She turned her head, catching sight of something that made her heart soar. Surely, Felis was looking out for her as she caught sight of a pillow that had been undergoing some stitch work. Trembling fingers gripped the needle and brought it up to her mouth to bite off the thread connecting to the pillow. 

Thoughts of sterilization ran through her mind briefly. However, it seemed as though her legs weren’t nearly as willing to move as before. Moving her hands, she released her wound to wipe off the blood and try threading the needle. 

Huren ended up snapping the first needle and groaned from irritation. By the second needle, she fed the thread through and used her teeth to tie off a knot. “Okay, that’s that,” she puffed, bracing herself for what comes next. 

Working her shirt up was harder than she anticipated. The fabric had set into the wound and pulling it out risked opening what bits had congealed already. Plucking out scraps of shirt, she drew in a sharp breath as she caught sight of the injury. Her mind drifted to Divinity and her teeth grit together before she made the first stitch.

Each time the needle pricked her skin, her vision clouded over a little more. Nevertheless, she had to persist if she was going to be of any help to herself. She tried focusing on the injury to keep her mind from slipping into shock. It had been a long time since she’d thought about Divinity and her current actions were preventing her from thinking about much else. 

Gentle smiles and warm hugs when she needed them. Guidance and direction, learning valuable skills at her own pace and according to her own interests. Divinity remained untainted in her memories, the mother she’d always dreamed of having. Encouragement rang within her, reminiscent of the first time she’d tried her hand at stitching. It worked to help steady the shakiness of her hands, if only minutely. 

Still, she hadn’t so much as touched a needle since Divinity had passed and it most certainly showed in her handiwork. It was uneven and rough, but it worked to seal the wound. When her Aura recovered, it could take care of the rest. Controlling the blood was the most pressing matter at the moment. Second would be to focus on eliminating the risk of infection. Had she been in better shape, she’d have disinfected the needle and cleaned the wound. Amazing how bleeding out changes a person’s priorities. 

She nodded absently, pressing against the couch to help herself back up to her feet. Clean the wound, she ordered herself. As soon as she rose, her head swam viciously, almost knocking her back down once more. 

“Up we go,” she muttered, finding a way to stumble towards the kitchen. The house was deathly quiet, but entirely orderly, almost more so than her last visit. It was something that she only took notice of now, although, it wasn’t a comfort in the slightest. Bleeding out or not, lack of observation was something that made Huren greatly uncomfortable. 

Eyes darted about warily, ears remained pricked and on alert. Clearly, nobody was home, but that did nothing to ease her anxiety. By her estimation, she guessed no one had been around for quite some time. Thoughts began racing in her mind, but she pushed herself in the kitchen, ripping open drawers until she found some towels. She grabbed two and went about the process of removing her shirt and cleaning what she could. 

Red went down the drain every time she wringed out the towel she worked with. As she cleaned, her mind worked. She’d need a shower, or to be thrown into a river. But that was a problem to be addressed at a later point in time. Dully, she thought of the trail she’d no doubt left behind and Lilly.

If the recent attack was any indicator, someone had an eye on her already and was able of tracking her down regardless of her actions. Plus, with Cinder’s advancements, the thought wasn’t exactly far-fetched. She clenched her jaw, being a direct target of Salem was certainly less than ideal. Raven was going to actually kill her when she found out. 

Shaking someone off her trail would be difficult, she’d have to cut herself off entirely. However, that would leave Yang vulnerable, especially when she didn’t know how much her tracker knew. Using the second towel, she dried herself up a little bit, looking over her shoulder. Just as she’d thought, blood had dripped from her wound and made a right mess of everything. It was almost comical in a way. The way her blood painted the floor and couch, ruining the otherwise perfectly clean house. 

Some mild, but negligible spark of guilt shot through her. Apologies were in order, but that would require finding Lilly, which brought about several more trains of thought. The first of which being her wondering whether or not Lilly was even alive. 

Felis was still fresh in her mind’s eye, thinking about her love’s words. Skin itched and she let out a whimper before shaking her head. There would be time for that later. She didn’t need to be thinking about Lilly like that. As of right now, Lilly was missing and quite possibly injured or being tortured. 

_Where are you, Lilly_? They had agreed to meet today and the sky was darkening already. Leaving at this hour wasn’t wise for anyone. Lilly hadn’t gone out looking for her. That just didn’t seem right. 

The unfinished sewing project sat in her mind, bothering her. She bit the inside of her cheek, scanning the kitchen. Had she set a proper baseline, the process would’ve been so much simpler. However, she could only work with what she had. Which was a lack of dishes in the sink, on the stove or on the counter. The only drawers that were open were those that she’d ripped out in search for towels. 

Papers were stacked neatly on the dining table, bills and the like. Other than the disturbance she’d made, there wasn’t any sign here that anything out of the ordinary may have occurred. Quite the contrary, the only thing she could really work off was a hunch for now. 

Would Salem really have someone she’d talked with a couple of times kidnapped to get to her? Why would that make any logical sense whatsoever looking in from the outside? 

She took a closer look at the pile of papers. One of them was opened on top, a sticky note attached. Raising it, she found the note to dictate a reminder to pay the bill immediately, but upon closer inspection, the bill was one from last month. Her thumb ran over the ink, dampening the paper. 

Dread settled in her bones. While she didn’t want to assume the worst, her luck would likely disagree her. Setting the envelope down very gently, she bit down on her lower lip. She needed evidence. Solid evidence before she could do anything at all. And she had all of absolutely nothing. 

On one hand, she was in no condition at all to even begin investigating. Blood loss had left her exhausted and weak. Now that she could see her skin, she understood how deathly pale she’d become. Now was the time for self-care, or some shoddy equivalent to it. She opened the fridge, grabbed an orange and let it close behind her. She’d already begun peeling it as she thought of the consequences that would come with her finding repose here. 

Especially given the fact that every precious second wasted could mean something horrible for Lilly, or Yang. Dawdling could mean putting her sister in danger. That was what waited for her on the other hand. 

If this was Salem working through Cinder, then her concern would be mounting. She’d just have to hope that Yang stay close to Beacon while she recovered. Priorities had to remain in place, no matter how conflicted it made her. 

_So, prioritize, Huren_ , she told herself, forcing herself back into the living room. Each step took herculean effort now, her adrenaline gone and leaving her behind. It was all she could do to collapse into the chair next to the couch. 

Relief spread through her the instant she fell into the chair, though she had to be mindful not to bust her new stitches. Sleeping in the chair, tempting as it was, wouldn’t be as effective as an actual bed and she knew this. She used the break as a chance to catch her breath and eat her snack. The orange wasn’t moulded, which was good. That meant it had been in the fridge for less than a month, although that wasn’t necessarily a comfort. 

After eating, she set the peel aside and rose slowly, relying on the wall to guide her. Heading upstairs, she went to where she knew the guest room to be and opened the door. 

Her blood ran cold in her veins. 

Inside, shattered glass scattered about the floor and blood was splattered everywhere. For once, she could say that none of it was hers. Her eyes flew about the room, taking in everything that they could to come up with some sort of explanation or rationale to what this was. Nothing came to her on the spot. Not with nausea churning her stomach and forcing her to rely on the door frame. “Lilly,” she whispered in horror. 

On the edge of the bed was a slip of paper. It was held in place by what appeared to be a black rock. She pushed off the wall to get a closer look. What she saw made her cover her mouth. A chess piece. The black queen.


	4. The Panic Sets In

After her half-dead investigation revealed her worst fears to be true, she relented her fruitless endeavor of staying awake. There was no hope that she could beat Cinder or Salem in this state. They’d just toss her around like a plaything. This led to her stumbling back down the stairs and into the chair she’d previously eaten in. Her eyes were closed before her body collapsed again, likely disturbing her wound. At this point, Huren found she didn’t much care. She slept. 

For once, she didn’t dream, nor was she disturbed by nightmares of Felis being tortured or Adam coming for her. Everything was just darkness and silence. Peace washed over her. 

She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep. Only that the sun was high in the sky and her skin had been scabbed over by the time she woke up. Huren winced, prodding gently at the flesh to test how well it was doing. What she did know was that she’d need to be careful for a couple of days if she was going to heal up properly. She also knew that with her life, that was rather unlikely without Raven around. There was no one around to keep her safe while she recovered this time. 

It was admittedly nice to have her Aura in place again, even if it was already busy. Honestly, she really needed to stop getting into battles and sustaining life-threatening injuries. If she could count on one hand how many times it’s debilitated her, maybe it wouldn’t have bothered her so much. 

As it stood, all Huren was really able to do was push the thought away and steal the largest, darkest shirt she could find in the house. It was a man’s flannel, black and gray, that hung down to her mid-thigh and past her hands until she rolled them up, but it would do. While she found it interesting to find male clothing in the house, Huren paid it no mind, scraping together a meagre breakfast of another orange and some crackers before she was on her way. 

Lilly and Yang alike plagued her thoughts on the way back to Vale. Concern for her new friend was pitted against the fear that her sister may not be as safe as she’d initially believed. Her ears remained pricked the entire journey. Tueur remained in her hands. The glow of the blade was dimmer than usual, but its presence was no less comforting.

Not for the first time, she wished she was born a Faunus. Born to Divinity and been Adam’s sister. Maybe it would’ve made a difference, in both of their lives. She trudged miserably. 

Deep down, she knew that she shouldn’t be alone right now. Between her current condition and mindset, the only thing that would keep the Grimm away from her was her Aura. She burned enough of it to render the same light glow as her weapon in the hopes of staving off any threats. The effort was more taxing than it should’ve been, but ultimately necessary so long as it proved effective. Thankfully, it seemed as though Lady Luck was once again on her side, as she didn’t have a repeat encounter. 

If Salem’s goal were to kill her, doing so now, while she was still weak, would be ideal. She could send Cinder and eliminate her without too much trouble at all. However, if her goal were merely to scare her and get her moving, then biding her time might prove more favorable. Thinking about it too deeply made Huren’s head hurt. 

So, being alone was dangerous for her, yes. She was able to concentrate enough to understand that. But having a partner might prove more dangerous depending on who she went to. Obviously, Yang was out of the question. Huren would have to find a way to keep her safe, but that didn’t mean keeping her close and drawing her from Beacon. Plus, involving Yang would mean involving the rest of her team and her friends. 

Huren wasn’t sure if she was ready for that yet. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready for that. 

Moreover, it would mean explaining to Ozpin that Salem had spies, and that she was targeting Huren specifically. Ozpin was a wild card to her. She may have respected the man, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react to such an assault. 

Her mind urged her to go back to her apartment, to her job in the bookshop with the old man. It wanted her to seek out what normal she had and plan from there. 

Unfortunately, she couldn’t just do that. Another, smaller, voice informed her that was a bad idea and her best bet was to go consult with Captain Stormband since the woman wouldn’t ask too many questions. Her mother would’ve been the obvious choice to talk with, but Huren wasn’t sure how exactly to get in contact with the woman. Besides, she wasn’t looking for a beating this soon after her last one. 

Captain Stormband it was. She rolled her shoulders, pressing forward, now with a goal in mind. Seeing the captain meant going to the docks, but if she was careful, no one would look twice. The blood on her jeans had crusted over, but the worst of it was covered by her shirt. 

Every now and then she’d put too much weight on her bad side, feel the scabbing pull and hiss in pain and annoyance. Eventually, she traded Tueur over to her left hand and allowed the flat of the blade to rest gingerly against her shoulder. The extra weight did what she wanted it to, off-setting her and forcing her to redistribute herself appropriately. 

Occasionally, she’d hear rustling in the bushes that had her shoulders tensing, but nothing came for her other than wayward woodland creatures. 

Dense undergrowth gave way to springy grass which gave way to concrete and asphalt. By that point, her Aura was worn from constant use. Time passed by, lost much of its meaning as she kept on, one foot in front of the other. Without much else in way of distractions, her mind ran off on indistinct thoughts. They were faint enough to be irrelevant if she was just able to ignore them, but of course, she couldn’t just do that. Felis was there too. Her love was a powerful, demanding presence that made Huren lose her voice and bring her to her knees. 

Whatever that was, a spiritual encounter or something even more bizarre, Huren wasn’t entirely sure. As far as she was concerned, it had been real. She’d seen Felis with her own eyes. Felt her warmth, her touch. Inhaled her scent. Felis was real at that moment in time. And she had asked her to move on, to live a story worth telling. 

The trees of the Emerald Forest had long since been replaced by lampposts and buildings, reducing her risks of Grimm encounters by a considerable margin. Tueur had found its place sheathed on her back now that the threat had passed. Huren sighed and stopped exerting herself as much, the blue glow died around her. Her hands worked steadily as she walked, trying to remain inconspicuous. All around were familiar buildings which worked to set her heart at ease, but given her best bet was to slide by the outskirts of town to avoid detection, it didn’t last very long. 

A cool breeze rolled by, stinging her cheeks ever so slightly. Fighting the urge to shiver, she raised her Aura a bit higher to fight back the chill. Normally, she wouldn’t be paying it any mind, but she was down a layer at the moment. She’d left her jacket back at Lilly’s house. It had been severely scorched and torn up from the fight, unfit to be worn and possibly wrecked beyond repair. As for the latter, Huren hoped it wouldn’t prove true. 

Tucking out of an alley, she caught sight of the pier. Tasting the air would yield fish and salt. She’d made it. No small amount of relief ran through her and a smile began to spread across her features. Now all that was left to do was to get ahold of Captain Stormband, organize a search for Lilly and tell Yang to stay on Beacon. “Easy day,” she muttered to herself, stuffing her hands in her pockets. 

Getting there wasn’t the problem. Avoiding people she never thought would be there was. 

As she scanned the boats, moving and looking to find the right one, a familiar voice interrupted her train of thought. “Huren?”

Muscles rigid, she halted mid-step, teetering back and forth. She glanced backwards, praying for once that she was hallucinating again. 

Unfortunately, it seemed as though her luck wasn’t lasting in the slightest. One Ruby Rose was walking alongside a white-themed girl who was undoubtedly Weiss Schnee. Both were looking her way and closing in fast. The scythe wielder had a wide smile on her face as she walked. 

Her mind was working overtime. Running would make her look suspicious. Conversing would result in exposure and wasting time. 

She turned towards the two, mouth flat. Huren would just have to shut down any attempts of conversation right off the bat. 

As they neared, Ruby’s smile gave way to a worried frown and Huren grew anxious. Her gaze drifted down to her side. At some point she’d reopened her wound, her eyes went wide at the realization. Blood had soaked into the dark fabric of the shirt, not enough that it was dripping or pouring out of her, but it leaked nonetheless. 

She just managed to turn and get another step before there was a rush behind her that made the hair on her neck stand on end. Her instincts kicked in and Tueur was in hand before she could blink. 

Whether Semblance or reaction timing, Ruby was able to get Crescent Rose up in time to meet her slash. The blades grinded against each other before both pushed off. Horror shot through her. Huren never wanted to cross blades with Ruby. Her half-sister. 

In her peripheral, she caught sight of Weiss drawing her rapier and sliding into a fighting stance of her own. Light eyes glinted dangerously. 

“Weiss, put Myrtenaster away,” Ruby ordered, focused on her. Concern shone in silver eyes.

Huren forced herself to sheathe her blade and took an additional step back, eyes watching for sudden movement. “Ruby, I’m so sorry,” she said shakily, sliding back another step. “What are you doing here?” They seemed real, but she knew her mind was not to be trusted. Wilt and Blush had certainly felt real enough when she was fighting phantom Adam. Her head was hurting, unsure of what to believe. 

In response to her, Ruby put Crescent Rose away and put her hands up in a surrendering gesture. Ruby’s voice broke into her thoughts, sounding steady and solid in a way that hers wasn’t. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she ground out, stepping back again when Ruby pressed forward a step. The reaper flinched at her tone, so she amended, “I’m okay, I just need to go talk with someone.” That was true, to an extent. She had to talk with many people, some of which she’d allow her blade to do the talking. 

Clearly, Ruby wasn’t buying it, replying, “Huren, you’re obviously injured, let us help you.” Then, to Weiss, “Get ahold of Yang and Blake, she needs a hospital.” 

Her adrenaline was winding down faster than last time, her knees wobbled with the effort of keeping her upright. Nevertheless, she couldn’t accept that. The only way she’d be able to outrun Ruby was if the reaper was incapacitated. Which left Weiss, who’s eyes were sharp on her even as she brought her Scroll to her mouth. Myrtenaster was still in her opposite hand, directed at her, ready for guidance, despite Ruby's orders. “Ruby,” she warned, stepping back again, there was a lack of substance beneath her heel. She’d backed onto the edge of the pier. Water was churning underneath her in her mind’s eye. Her Aura could only do so much to protect her from infection, less so if she was actively seeking out bacteria. “I will be _fine_ ,” she repeated. 

Black spots returned to her vision, pain growing from a constant ache to a finer flame. _Just jump_ , she told herself, _jump and worry about cleaning up as soon as possible_.

Knees bending, she was about to do just that when she heard something akin to a muttered apology before a blow to the head knocked her to one side. Ringing exploded in her ears with no small amount of pain. The black encompassed her entirely, swallowing her up into a sea of panic. Her last thought was of Lilly, her hazel eyes watching in betrayal as she failed to reach her in time.


	5. Yang: Guilt Crawls Like Sins

Uncapping her bottle, Yang took a swig from her water. Her breath came out in ragged puffs of air. When Blake outstretched her hand for the hydration source, she didn’t hesitate to pass it over. 

“How are you not out of breath?” she demanded, watching her girlfriend sip at the water, seemingly unbothered. 

Blake arched an eyebrow, lips curling into a lazy smile. “Are you telling me you’re tired from a little run?”

Little run? Yang straightened up, indignant. “We ran ten miles! Anyone sane would be exhausted from that!” She ran a hand through her hair, collecting enough sweat to drown a man. 

Apparently, her girlfriend was entirely insane, as she giggled, laid a hand on Yang’s collarbone and murmured, “I can think of activities requiring more physical exertion.” 

Blinking, Yang took a moment to register the low, promising tone that Blake used. When it did, a sound of realization escaped her and an eager smirk crossed her features. Weariness forgotten, she asked, “And what _exactly_ did you have in mind, Blakey?”

“Running eleven miles,” her girlfriend responded without missing a beat. 

Flabbergasted, Yang stood stationary, jaw working uselessly as her tired brain tried catching up. Blake laid a swift kiss to her cheek before leaving her where she was. “I think I’m in love,” Yang managed, raising a shaking hand to her cheek, a goofy smile crossing her features. She watched as the Faunus seemed to glide away, footsteps as light as ever. 

As it stood, she couldn’t stand there forever. Already the siren call of the showers rang in her ears, summoning her with its sweet song. She forced herself to jog, ignoring the sharpness in her lungs, to catch up with Blake. 

“So, now that we’ve worked out for the day, how’s about a movie?” she suggested in an effort to procrastinate the History project Oobleck demanded be turned in next week. “I think I saw somewhere that Ninjas of Love is getting an adaptation,” she teased playfully. 

Cat ears flicked back towards her, but Blake didn’t look. “You’re insufferable,” the ninja commented exasperatedly. “Plus, you haven’t even started on your homework this weekend.”

She replied, “You’re right, but it’s Friday. And you know that I know that homework is a Sunday problem.”

“I knew that not talking you out of taking Debate was a bad idea,” Blake muttered, slipping into the locker room soundlessly. They moved to their lockers, fetching towels and soap before heading into the showers. Warm steam greeted them in seconds, curling wisps into their lungs. 

Yang shrugged, reaching for the hem of her top before tugging it off. Her shorts went next, and she twisted her back before going to remove her bra when something caught her attention. 

Golden orbs were locked onto her form, red spreading across porcelain cheeks like a wildfire. She grinned, unable to help herself and Blake’s ears tilted back before that gaze ripped away from her. 

“You’re allowed to look, Blakey,” she teased, though after the realization, she found herself in somewhat of a similarly flushed situation. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

A breath escaped her partner, who didn’t look back. Shoulders were clearly tense under an athletic shirt that clung to Blake like a second skin. “I know, it just feels, different now,” Blake replied. 

Different? “How so?”

“I want to touch you,” came the low answer. 

_Oh_. “Oh,” Yang repeated aloud, suddenly understanding why Blake looked as though she were restraining herself. An idea popped into her mind and she smirked before taking off her sports bra and sidling up to her partner. “Well, what’s stopping you?” she purred, sultry. 

Blake’s lips were on hers before she could draw in air. Hands were on her hips, digging in and she was guided into the shower stall. Steam turned to scalding droplets that had her hissing and breaking away. Blake used the opportunity to strip down as well, Yang tossed away her boy shorts. 

Soon, they reconnected, disappeared in a cloud of steam. Yang let her hands slide and rise, exploring smooth skin. They parted once more, breathless. Blake looked at her as if she were the world. Yang wanted her to know that she thought of Blake as her universe. Gentle caresses gave way to tugging, kissing, entangling, pressing until they weren’t sure where one ended and the other began. 

It took them some time to focus on the getting clean portion of the shower. Even that was distracted and exhausted by that point, soap was washed away and replaced with lips that ghost over skin for just a moment. The water wasn’t cold, but it sure as hell wasn’t as hot as it was. “We should probably go back to the room, I think Ruby wanted to host movie night tonight,” Blake murmured, sliding away and grabbing her towels, using one to dry her hair and wrapping the other around her body. 

Yang was sure she made a noise of agreement, or she tried to, at least, turning the water off and following suit. They padded back to the locker room with the clothes they made sure to wring out before leaving and changed over into fresh garments. Ruffling her hair dry with one hand, Yang opened her Scroll to check for any messages Ruby may have sent regarding tonight’s event. 

As it turned out, there were several missed calls and a multitude of messages that awaited her, the first word of many being either “urgent” or her name in all caps. Frowning, she slid her thumb across the screen to call her little sister, setting the Scroll down to use both hands to finish toweling her hair. 

“Yang, why haven’t you been answering?” Ruby’s voice shouted, obviously stressed to no end about something. “We’ve been trying to get ahold of both of you for ages.”

Blake responded by grabbing her Scroll and going through the messages she’d no doubt been sent as well. Yang watched in confusion as her partner’s free hand flew up to cover her mouth, her ears lying flat on her head. “Ruby, what’s going on?”

“It’s Huren, she’s hurt. We took her to the emergency room and the doctors are doing what they can, but it looked really serious.” 

Wait. Huren? She was still externally, synapses firing off in her brain too fast for her to grasp until it hit her like a freight train. “Huren’s hurt?” she asked in disbelief, hands falling from her towel, letting it collapse to the floor. While she and Blake had been…? 

Her twin sister had been hurt. Anger shot through her, along with guilt, pain, self-loathing. Her Semblance sparked, hair ablaze, eyes undoubtedly scarlet. 

Somewhere distantly she heard Blake talking with Ruby, but it sounded muffled and unclear. Sliding to the floor, she tried collecting her thoughts and wrangling her emotions into some semblance of order. A hand touched her and she flinched harshly. 

Blinking revealed Blake staring at her worriedly. “Yang?” Her name sounded distorted and unreal. Everything seemed a little unreal. “Yang, we’re going to go now. Can you get up?”

This was her fault. She wasn’t sure how, but it was. She should’ve been with Huren today, asked her questions, talked to her about her past, done sister things. Something.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Right, right. Let’s go,” she said, taking her partner’s hand. Blake led her by the hand while her mind ran wild. What had happened to her? How did she get hurt? Why didn’t Yang check her phone after their workout or before they took their shower? Guilt poisoned her veins, coagulating her blood to sludge. 

Her Semblance firing up was something of an oddity, even if it had subsided for the most part already. She hadn’t taken any damage, so how could it be activating? 

Glancing to her side, she caught Blake’s worried eyes before they flickered away. Without a doubt, her behavior was having some impact on her partner. Especially considering she hadn’t told Blake that Huren was actually her twin, respecting the promise she made before they parted last.

_“Yang, please don’t tell anyone else about this,” Huren pleaded, clutching her tightly around the shoulders._

_Confused, she asked, “Why? We could be a family, you could see Dad, Ruby.”_

_Huren’s grip had tightened briefly at the words before she let go, pulling away. The smaller wasn’t quite looking at Yang. “No,” Huren breathed, eyes shutting, head shaking. “I’ll tell them, in my own time. Just promise me?”_

_She wanted to argue. Wanted to be able to have her twin sister at her side. To take her out to parks and play video games. Practice sparring with her and Ruby._

_Ultimately, looking at the pained form of her sister, the tightness of her shoulders, she relented, “I won’t tell.”_

She should say something. Reassure Blake in some way. Blake led them to the garage, where she had Bumblebee stored. “You have your keys, right?”

Patting down her pockets, Yang retrieved them from the front. Best to be prepared for a joy ride, or an emergency situation such as this one. “Okay,” she said, moving to get on. 

Hands grabbed at her shoulders, stopping her. First anger, then panic and guilt. 

“Let me drive, Yang. I don’t think you’re in any state to do so,” Blake told her, taking her hand and her keys. 

Her jaw clenched and unclenched, but she permitted Blake to take control. “Can you even drive a motorcycle, Blake?”

Golden eyes looked back at her glimmering with amusement, hints of a smile. “Trust me.”

That was all the encouragement Yang needed to climb onto the back of her beloved bike, wrapping her arms tight around Blake’s middle. Beneath them, Bumblebee roared to life and they were off, flying through the streets of Vale. 

Yang had to give credit where it was due. Despite breaking several speeding laws, Blake was an excellent driver. The only reason Yang clung so tightly to her middle was to reassure herself that Blake was actually with her. The knowledge working to keep her grounded and focused.

Impatient, she was practically buzzing when they arrived on the scene. An ambulance was flashing bright lights and responders were everywhere. She leapt off the back of the bike before Blake had finished parking and rushed over to where she caught sight of Ruby’s hood. 

“Where is she?” she demanded, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, the stress out of her posture. 

Ruby put up her hands in a silent order to relax before pointing to Yang’s right. “Don’t freak out, Yang,” her sister cautioned. 

That warning fell upon deaf ears as Yang fought the urge to scream. 

Huren had been small every time Yang had seen her. But at the moment, she seemed painfully tiny, swallowed up on the stretcher. Paramedics fussed over her, beginning to roll her into the ambulance after determining she was stable for travel. Clothes that were too large had grown darker from blood. 

Throat constricting painfully, Yang reached out blindly for Blake, glad when her partner’s hand gripped hers and squeezed comfortingly. “Is she-?” The words died in her throat. 

Weiss’ voice answered, seeming strained, “She’s stable, but she’s lost quite a bit of blood and her Aura is dangerously low if it hasn’t broken already.”

A small hand touched her shoulder. She glanced over to see her baby sister, the reaper seemed troubled. “Ruby?”

“Yang,” her sister began slowly, “her eyes, they were red. Last time I saw her they were just like yours, but they were red this time.” _Just like when you use your Semblance_. The unspoken words passed between them. They were going to have a talk about that later, they all were.

Shaking her head slightly to indicate that this was not the time, she gripped Blake’s hand tighter and looked away. 

Ruby switched gears, slipping into her leader-mode. Brow set and indecision vanished. “We’re going to make sure she gets stabilized and to the hospital, that’s our current objective. Yang, I’d suggest you stay close by in case she regains consciousness, given we don’t know if she’ll act with hostility or not. Weiss, call Beacon, Ozpin if you have to, let them know that we’re not going to be back until further notice and we will be providing updates as necessary.”

“Hostility?”

Weiss interjected this time, “She drew on Ruby the moment she got anywhere in the vicinity.”

Surely, she imagined hearing that. Huren, draw a blade on Ruby? 

Her leader further clarified, “She was scared, I ran up with my Semblance and startled her. She apologized immediately, didn’t engage. But that’s besides the point. Right now, we have a casualty and we have to make sure that she and her caretakers get to the hospital. So, let’s go.” There wasn’t any room for argument in Ruby’s voice.

Even Weiss would’ve been hard-pressed to sway Ruby when she got like this. So, having received her orders, Yang moved swiftly over to the ambulance to board. 

Some paramedics tried stopping her, and she almost set off right then and there if it weren’t for Blake. “We’re both Huntresses, sir. If this girl wakes up and begins attacking people, which isn’t to say that will happen, but we’re your best shot at mitigating the issue and any resulting damages.”

There wasn’t much argument after that, the man took one look at Huren, the broadsword that was clutched in a death grip in her hand, before yielding and allowing them to stay. Something Yang was immensely grateful for. For Blake being the rationality that Yang needed most when she felt like she couldn’t even breathe. 

Before too long, the doors had closed on them, leaving them in the ambulance with the unconscious Branwen. 

“Yang, are you crying?” Blake asked her softly, hand tightening on hers to get her attention. 

Jolting, her hands rose to her cheeks and came away wet. She ran her palms along her cheeks and eyes to clear them. “I’m fine,” she lied, not bothering to look away from her twin for a second. This was her fault. She should’ve done something. Anything. 

“Baby,” Blake murmured, not quite pitying, but close enough. 

Gritting her teeth, Yang repeated herself. 

“She’s your sister, isn’t she? Twins?”

Sitting ramrod straight, Yang finally turned to look at her partner. Blake was watching Huren as she had been, but not as intently. There was a thoughtfulness to her gaze, a distant recognition, not unlike that when seeing the profile of an old friend from afar, but didn’t want to approach in case it turned out her memory failed her. 

“How did you-?” She remembered Ruby’s words, Blake’s vicinity, her previous doubts and suspicions. “Yeah,” she admitted lamely. “She made me promise not to say anything though,” she added apologetically, guiltier than ever. 

Maybe it was her imagination, but Yang could’ve sworn Blake’s bow twitched visibly. She wasn’t even sure of when the Faunus had put it back on. Unable to meet gold, she turned back to Huren. Beeps rang in her ears, alerting her that her sister’s vitals were in hand. 

The gentle monotone of her partner’s voice reached her again. “I understand,” Blake told her, squeezing and leaning against her shoulder. “Did she tell you why you couldn’t though? Is it because of me?”

Shaking her head, she answered, “She didn’t say. Only that she’d tell everyone in her own time, though I guess we kind of dropped the ball on that one.” A pregnant pause passed between them. Yang used it to take in her sister, catching sight of scratches and scrapes here and there. As well as what appeared to be several burn marks littering her skin. However, none of it was as pressing as the dark stain around her side, which had spread further than the compression bandage she’d been fitted with. The dark circles around her eyes stood out starkly against pale skin. “I hope she’s going to be okay.”

“You know,” Blake mused from beside her, “I may not remember her very much, but I’m pretty confident that she’s been in worse scraps than this. She’s tough, she’ll pull through.”

Déjà vu ran through Yang like lightning. Parallelism brought a faint, wistful sort of smile to her features and her mind was just a little bit at ease. “It’s funny, she told me something like that about you once.”


	6. Yang: Hospitals, Prisons, The Like

Having Blake by her side made it easier to breathe. She told her partner this several times on the ride to the emergency room and again when they arrived. At that time, the paramedics opened the doors to retrieve Huren and usher her away. 

As soon as they turned a corner, Yang felt something crack within her. Perhaps it was selfish, but she couldn’t just lose Huren. Not when the girl was the only connection she had to Raven and when she still had so many questions that needed answers. Plus, just having someone else. So many people had left. Yang needed the one who sought her out, wanted to stay. 

Feet churned beneath her, drawn. “Wait,” she called, moving jerkily towards the corner, hand stretching out. 

Someone stepped in front of her, a nurse or something. “Hold on now, dear. We have a few questions that we’d like to ask first, very simple. All we need is her name, date of birth and chief complaint.”

That was reasonable. Though it made her skin crawl. “Huren, October 3rd, severe lacerations and blood loss,” she relayed through grit teeth, inching to one side, trying to slip past. 

The nurse recorded everything down on her clipboard. “Right, and her last name? Are any of you related to her or were you just nearby during the time of the incident?”

Last name, that’s right. How did she answer that? Was Huren still using Lupus or did she use Branwen for things like this? Did she even have medical records. Immunizations, surely. “Branwen,” she decided, “Huren Branwen. We’re just friends of hers.” 

“Is there any way to get in contact with her next of kin that you know of? Not to say that anything will happen, of course,” the nurse assured her, peering up from her scribbling. For a brief moment, she seemed more human with the action. 

There was no way they’d be able to get in contact with Raven. If the woman even cared about them enough to show up. There was always Qrow, but there was no way to guarantee he’d be able to answer his Scroll or if he was on an important mission. Her father was an option, but she dismissed that immediately. 

Blake stepped up beside her, voice strong as she offered, “Any news regarding her condition can go to Blake Belladonna.” She then provided her information and with that, urged the hinderance away. 

Yang slid by to find her sister, only to find a pair of locked doors barring her entry. Damn hospitals. 

Moving swiftly, she traced back around and to the front. “Hey, we just dropped someone off here and they took her back. I need to see her.”

A dull-eyed receptionist glanced up at her for just a moment, a courtesy glance more than anything. Then, the human contact was gone. “I’m sorry, are you a blood relative or spouse?” came the trained response.

Clenching her jaw and fists, Yang fought the urge to break the counter, tempting as it was. “No,” she lied through her teeth. “But she’s my friend! I need to make sure she’s okay!” 

Not missing a beat, or even looking up from her computer, the woman answered, “Visiting hours have been concluded for all those who aren’t authorized to stay the night. You’ll have to return tomorrow during our visiting hours.”

Rage. Red bled into her vision. Ember Cecilia activated automatically, she wasn’t even thinking. Just as she opened her mouth to give this bitch a piece of her mind, hands grabbed her arms. One side was Ruby, the other was Blake. They both regarded her with some degree of concern, but were otherwise outwardly calm. 

“They’re trying to say we can’t see Huren!” she seethed, gaze burning into the computer. Perhaps she’d be able to blow it up with her mind. That would be pretty cool.

Then again, she could just blow it up physically. “Yang, we wouldn’t be able to see her anyway. The doctors said she’d have to undergo surgery, blood transfusions and other medical procedures tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow, I promise,” Weiss told her. 

She craned her neck, catching sight of the short girl a couple feet behind them. Weiss’ arms were crossed, but there was no denying the worried spark in icy blue eyes. For an Ice Queen, she had come quite a long way from the frigid, snooty girl she had been. 

“I-,” she tried, thinking of something, anything. 

Her sister tightened her hold. “Yang, we have to go. Weiss is right, we’ll take the first Airship back to Vale in the morning. Plus, we just left Bumblebee back at the docks,” Ruby pointed out quietly.

Weiss’ voice was softer this time around. “It’s going to be alright, Yang. Nothing’s going to happen overnight with her condition. She’ll be in good hands.” 

Tears slid down her cheeks, gauntlets receding to their bracelet form. Blake still hadn’t said a word, holding to her arm firmly. When she looked over golden eyes fixed sharply, but Yang got the feeling that Blake wasn’t actually seeing her. Only when her name dropped from Yang’s lips did she react. 

Her bow seemed to twitch again before she finally said, “Let’s get back home, Yang.”

Those words were what tipped her over. Yang permitted her team to cart her back, first to the docks and then to the Academy. They didn’t press her when she didn’t say anything. In return, she allowed them to help her to bed and convince her to eat the following morning. 

All the while, her mind was taking her somewhere else. Somewhere further back than she could remember going. Back before a time when she took Ruby to the abandoned house in that little wagon. And what she could recall made her tremble. 

A Grimm had landed near the house, along with a little girl. A very little girl with a wildly disproportionate broadsword, who had crashed into the earth before scrambling to her feet to face the monster. Lilac eyes widened in horror at the sight before landing on a matching pair that seemed just as terrified. The only difference, was the way the other girl’s eyes hardened, set in determination before they turned to face the beast. 

If it hadn’t been for that little girl falling in and fighting, they might’ve died. Just like how they would’ve if Qrow hadn’t saved them at that abandoned house. All her life, people had either left her or sacrificed themselves for her. 

Yang’s hands began to shake. She couldn’t lose Huren. That was playing on loop in her mind as they boarded and rode the Airship all the way back to Vale. 

Ruby and Weiss did most of the talking when they were checking in. This was probably for the best, Yang wasn’t sure whether her temper would hold or not. Currently, silence engulfed her. The loudest sound she produced was the beat of her heart, which she suspected Blake could hear. Her girlfriend’s hand squeezed hers comfortingly.

Low, quiet, Blake murmured, “We’re going to see her. We’re right here, Yang.” 

She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Just as she did, a white coat popped through the double doors and into the waiting room. In his hand, a clipboard that he referred to after spotting them. Using his free hand, he adjusted a pair of glasses on his face. “You girls are the four who brought Miss Huren in yesterday, correct?”

His voice was soft, borderline sympathetic. It grated on Yang’s already fried nerves, causing her shoulders to pinch, hands to curl. Who was he to talk to them like he was sorry? This kid was a joke. 

And he was, a kid that was. He must’ve been a new hire fresh out of school judging by the way his stormy blue eyes displayed apology and nervousness. 

She’d rip him apart if something happened to her sister. From her side, Blake answered, “That’s right. Is she alright now, Doctor?”

Alright. Huren was alright. She had to be. Any thought otherwise was unacceptable as a blanket statement. 

“She is conscious,” the doctor assured them. “Her Aura is incredibly powerful and resilient, as we’ve discovered while aiding her. However, there’s been a development….” The way he phrased that wasn’t exactly comforting. 

Fine, she’d bite. “Development?”

For his part, he didn’t make her wait. “After she regained consciousness, it’s been, difficult, to convince her to cooperate and as a result, we’ve been unable to perform treatment. Currently, we have officials going in to sedate her, hopefully with minimized use of force,” he reported, pushing his glasses up. 

That certainly got their attention. Weiss raised a hand so the doctor redirected his attention. “The people you sent in, they can use their Aura, correct? You sent in Huntsmen?”

“No,” he replied, appearing somewhat uncomfortable at the question. “We didn’t have any Huntsmen or Huntresses on hand, so we got some security officials to assist.” 

The four of them exchanges glances, all reading how this could not possibly end well by any stretch of the imagination. “We need to see her,” Ruby said urgently.

Yang was already itching for a fight, inching past. “Give us a room,” she added through narrow eyes. 

“We can’t permit you to-,” the man began, only to stop dead when Yang’s Semblance sparked and her eyes went scarlet. Warmth flooded in with no small amount of adrenaline. 

She growled, “Room number.”

“Second floor, 267,” he supplied rapidly, but she was already moving. Blake was tailing her closely, eyes ablaze with worry. 

Her voice was just as concerned. “Yang, I’m not sure charging in headlong is the best course of action.”

But she wasn’t listening. Her mind, a flurry of wild thought. Distantly, she knew that Weiss would make sure that they got properly checked-in. More towards the forefront raged the fear that she might hurt Huren. Or that Huren might hurt other people before they got there. Right, protect the civilians, Yang, she told herself. That’s what Huntresses do. 

Feet hit the stairs, guided by arms that pulled at rails. Door slamming open. Racing down a hall, dodging carts and nurses. Skidding past the door before backtracking. Room 267, she made it. 

“Yang,” Blake said, grabbing her attention. She couldn’t fight the frustration as she looked. Her partner raised a hand, the one that wasn’t holding Gambol Shroud. “You need to calm down first. Going in with your Semblance activated like that isn’t going to convince Huren to calm down. And the mission is to subdue her so she can receive treatment.”

Blake was right. Of course she was right, but there wasn’t a feasible way to burn herself out. Her Semblance had been acting up since this whole incident began. Her frustration peaked, tears slid from her eyes. “I can’t,” she admitted, voice cracking ever so slightly. “I don’t know what’s going on and I can’t help but feel like this is my fault. My sister got hurt and I wasn’t even the one to find her, and now…. What if we cause even more damage? What can we do?”

Hands encircled her, pulling her into a tight embrace. She clutched tightly to Blake, finding her girlfriend’s presence reassuring and steadying. The gentle sound of Blake’s voice filled her ears, soothing her nerves, “One step at a time, Yang. I want you to focus on me, right now, okay?” Her partner reached and grabbed her hand, placing it over Blake’s chest so Yang could feel her heartbeat. “Breathe, Yang,” the Faunus encouraged her. 

Ruby and Weiss would catch up with them soon. She took a deep breath, focusing on the steady beat of Blake’s heart. She could do this, get Huren to calm down before someone got hurt. Heat leached from her, fire bleeding away until she was breathing normally again. 

Eyes opening to settle on their golden counterparts, Yang let her shoulders relax. “Thank you, Blake,” she murmured, smiling weakly. It wasn’t much, but it earned her one in return. 

“Let’s go,” Blake said in return. 

Opening the door revealed a somewhat dark room. The lamps having been kicked over in some kind of a struggle. Huren bore her broadsword protectively, back to the wall and on high alert. She didn’t seem entirely cognizant of what was going on around her. Clouded lilac eyes were accented with a dark bruise that extended over the majority of her left cheek. Those eyes darted about the room, seeing without seeing. Or perhaps it was just seeing what Yang couldn’t. 

Footsteps registered in her ears. “Yang!” Ruby’s voice called. 

Not activating Ember Cecilia, she entered. “Yang, this might turn into a fight,” Blake hissed at her. 

She just shook her head, raising a hand palm down to signal for them to lower their weapons. Pressing in, slowly, so as not to startle her sister, Yang navigated the wreckage of the room. She steered clear of tools and tables, as well as an upturned patient bed. There wasn’t any blood splattered across the room, nor was there any on Huren’s weapon. Both of which were a relief to her. 

“Hey Huren,” she greeted, voice careful, neutral. Remaining calm was key here, it was their best bet. She slid around a mobile table that had been flipped. Her twin snapped on her, eyes widened, horror sparking in them. “Let’s talk, Huren, just the two of us.” Depending on what she was seeing, that might prove a little more difficult. 

Visibly trembling, Huren shook her head, eyes never moving off of Yang. Yang stopped when that blade turned towards her. Fighting the urge to swallow hard, she stopped. Seems she’d be pushing it by moving closer. Raising her hands in surrender slowly, she repeated, “We’re just going to talk, Huren.”

“How do I know you’re real?” came the response in a curiously accusatory tone.

How did she prove that she was real? Mind racing, she took a step back, picked up a scalpel and held it to the meaty portion of her forearm. Fewer nerves there, a shallow cut would serve, keep her hands steady. Lowering her Aura, she made the cut, wincing as she did. Blood beaded to the surface. “Does that work?”

Even more fear shone in her sister’s eyes for a moment, before they hardened. “Tell me what’s going on, Yang,” Huren demanded, but there was a tremor to her. Blue sparked around her hands and a glow formed weakly around her blade. Yang didn’t use her Aura to heal the laceration, letting it bleed, leaving a trail down her arm. 

“Easy, your Aura hasn’t recovered yet. You were hurt, lost a lot of blood, so we brought you to a hospital,” she explained. 

A hand drifted up, touched gingerly at the bruise on her cheek. However, Yang took note, the tip of the broadsword didn’t even dip. “They were all over me, and there was a bright light,” Huren growled. 

Footsteps again, Yang put up a hand to make sure they didn’t get interrupted. “Those were just the doctors. And I’m sure that they were only trying to help and fix you up,” she said, remaining back, but setting the scalpel back down gently on the ground. She’d clean herself up after. 

Through visibly grit teeth, Huren winced before taking a step towards Yang, blade raised. Despite her obvious discomfort and confusion, the girl stood her ground. “They injected me with something, what was it?” she demanded. 

“Probably just an anesthetic,” she answered. “Just a little something to take the edge off or numb the pain.” Inching closer, praying Huren wouldn’t notice. She had to steel herself. If this went south, she had to be ready, and that meant being within range to attack. 

She could see the gears turning in her sister’s mind. Lilac that had been gearing towards crimson settled back to their natural state. Her tone had softened some, though still rather strained, as she said, “Yang, I need to get out of here, right now.”

The way she said it, the urgency, the pleading in lilac eyes. It tugged at Yang’s heart and worked to activate her motherly instincts. Obviously, Huren needed help first and foremost. Whatever it was she felt she needed to do would have to wait until she had recovered. 

“I understand,” she replied, thinking around the issue at hand. Blake was much better at this sort of thing than her. She didn’t want to risk a glance back, not wanting to take her eyes off of Huren. “We’re doing what we can to get you out of here as fast as possible. You’ve got to work with us though and lower your weapon.” 

Finally close enough, she outstretched her hand, resting it on the top of the blade until it was lowered. Huren sheathed her blade and let out an audible breath. 

A relieved sigh escaped Yang as she said, “That’s it, now let’s see if we can get you discharged.” She managed to ease an arm around Huren’s shoulders. The moment she did so, Huren tensed up briefly before going slack in the hold, allowing herself to be led. 

There was a feeling to it. What weight Huren had, it was all pressing into her. Under her breath, Huren kept muttering apologies, voice thick and breaking. Yang’s heart broke for her sister. As they walked out the room, Huren leaning against her, limp and exhausted, she felt a surge of anger and anguish mashing and melding within. 

No one was like this, no one who hadn’t been pushed beyond the point of no return, over and over again. Whoever had hurt Huren like this, whatever happened in her life, it had brought her to this. And Yang finally understood why her sister didn’t want to be a family. 

But wasn't that why she would need one more than ever? To support her, love her, help her. Grip tightening, they left the mess of the room and into the hallway, bright lights bringing spots into her vision. She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to stop thinking, for now at least. 

Of course, the remainder of RWBY just watched the pair in mild surprise. Ruby put away Crescent Rose, Blake and Weiss just staring, utterly baffled. There was some hidden flash in Blake’s eyes. Recognition? Anger? Jealousy?

They could work through that later. She was feeling quite a bit exhausted herself. “She’ll feel better if she’s not here,” Yang said hoarsely, energy draining away from her. “Weiss, Ruby, do you think you could convince them to let us take her to Beacon? Or let us stay?”

Ruby, their magnificent leader, who always had some sort of plan in store, nodded and grabbed her partner’s hand. They left and then there were three.


	7. Confession

Time wasn’t real, she was sure of that. Consciousness was fragile and fleeting, cognization even more so. The fine line between fantasy and reality was so smeared, Huren grew ill. 

Bright lights gave way to sunny warmth to softer artificial light. Whispers in her ears, some were ghosts, but others felt alive and true. Sometimes, she saw Yang, honed in on the incision on her upper arm and that clued her in, reminded her where reality began. Other times she saw Adam out of the corner of her eye, smiling wickedly, icy blue eyes cruel and calculating. 

Her body burned, but whether that meant she was actually ablaze or not remained to be seen. Shuddering, she stopped trying to cling to reality and slipped away into unconsciousness. 

Hands clung to her in her dreams. There were soft touches, ghosting fingers, and there were cruel touches, the kiss of a blade. 

Huren woke up screaming, jolting upright and having the cry become strangled in her throat as agony flashed through her. He stabbed her, he came back and finished the job. Panic set in before awareness and she was ripping up her shirt, staring at her stomach, bracing for the mortal wound that was killing her. 

But it wasn’t there. White bandages, pristine and crisp, greeted her. 

Swallowing, she settled, looking around, reaching with her fingers. Tueur was beside her, she brushed against the metal gingerly and her entire body relaxed all at once. _Thank the brothers_ , she thought, gripping the hilt tightly. 

“Are you quite alright?” The voice broke into her scattered thoughts, froze her. Not being alone was one thing, not being alone with the last person she wanted to see was a whole separate matter. 

Forcing herself to relax, focusing on the weight of her weapon, Huren sat up again, wincing at the stab of pain in her side. _Nevermore, right, the Grimm fight. Adam didn’t do this, he’s not here, he thinks you’re dead_. Her eyes traveled around the room, taking it in before landing on the speaker. A dorm room. Team RWBY’s dorm room, to be specific, if the precarious bunk bed system was anything to go off of. 

Her mouth dry, throat sore from screaming, she rasped, “Blake.” The Faunus was sitting in a chair below her. Of course, they put her in Yang’s bunk. Where else would they put her? 

Blake’s eyes didn’t give away much, aside from the fact she hadn’t slept well in a while. Dark circles, poorly hidden by makeup and only worsening the longer the girl would go without rest. Should she say something? Probably not, that wasn’t her fight, not right now, at least. Her current fight was getting back up on her feet. 

Before this she was doing something, something important. Dehydration hindered her thought process. Time to play nice, regroup, slip away. 

“How are you feeling?” Blake pressed, voice careful, but polite. 

Pressure built behind Huren’s skull, throbbed on her tongue the longer she clung to consciousness. Panic from waking up in a strange room had given way to fear that she’d forgotten something vital. Part of her mission. There were too many blind spots right now. Chest constricting, tightening until breathing became impossible. 

Shrugging, lying, “I’m fine.” Schooling her face slack, she remained still, minimizing the ache of living. 

“Liar,” Blake accused, catching her right away. _How did she-? Wait, Faunus, incredibly heightened senses_. Unfair is what it was. Blake being able to draw what she wanted by listening to changes in her heartbeat or breathing. Little tells that Huren, herself, wouldn’t be entirely aware of. “Let’s try that again, how are you feeling?”

Left with no option, she opted for the truth. “Not great, but I’ve had worse,” she admitted, hating her voice and its scratchiness. Clearing her throat, she added, “What about you, Blake?” Meant to be light, easy. What came out was old concern and pressing. That would be a problem. 

Thankfully, Blake didn’t seem to acknowledge the question, saying, “The others should be back from lunch soon enough.” Flat, curt. 

_Oh Blake, I’ve hurt you, haven’t I_? Guilt began to mount. Huren suppressed it for now. Too soon to fret over what couldn’t be fixed overnight. Still, a new pain swelled from within. If only Blake could give her something, anything to indicate what she recalled and didn’t. Sick of this game of theirs, waiting for the other to trip up, avoiding the problem until they stood face to face and even then. Especially what with seeing Felis again, even if that was just a figment or a fever dream. 

Huren was tired. Hopefully, Blake of all people would understand that. “Oh,” she managed, relinquishing her hold on Tueur and scratching at her forearm. A bandage encircled the area around her elbow, she made sure to note.

Silence, uncomfortable and heavy, stretched between the two until Blake stood and retrieved a glass of water and pills that she offered to Huren. Taking the glass, pushing the hand with the pills away, Huren took her first sip. 

“Take the medicine, Huren,” Blake insisted, bow not portraying her clear irritation as well as it should’ve. Why was she wearing that thing?

Huren deliberated, she didn’t know what was in the pills, but Blake wouldn’t poison her, right? Not if she cared for Yang and left Adam. _What do you remember, Blake_? “What is it?” she asked instead. 

“Painkillers and something to help you remain calm,” came the answer. 

Arching an eyebrow, she replied, “Am I not calm, right now?” 

Always quick on the draw, Blake answered, “It’s supposed to help you stay that way. Keep you from going on another rampage.” 

Rampage. Now, that interested her to no small extent. Nevertheless, being stubborn wouldn’t get her out of here faster. Obedience might just be the only available option. “Fine,” she yielded, accepting the pills and chasing them with her water. 

Blake watched her as she did, making sure she swallowed the medicine and ensured she didn’t try squirreling anything away. “Good. Now then, who are you, really?”

Everyone wanted answers. Except for Huren, who only wanted Felis back, by her side, and to be able to live a life worth living again. No, she couldn’t focus on that. Those led to dangerous thoughts. Now was the time to heal, regain her feet, remember what her objective was prior to being on lockdown by her twin sister’s team. Plus, staying in the past wouldn’t bring her closer to changing her future. Nor would it bring her closer to taking down Adam and making him pay for his crimes. 

“I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I’m the one you shouldn’t remember,” she offered, trying for a sad smile, but stopped when it was too strained. 

Perhaps that wasn’t the best answer to offer a sleep-deprived Faunus on a hunt for answers. Blake’s eyes narrowed and she slammed both hands on the mattress. “That is bullshit and you know it. Why shouldn’t I remember you? Why is it so hard to?” the dark-haired girl growled.

Sighing softly, hand drifting against Tueur’s hilt, she replied, “Blake, I can’t help you unless you tell me what you can remember.”

The other girl scoffed, “Why, so you can manipulate what’s there and what wasn’t like he did?” 

_Adam, what did you do to her_? 

She shook away the thought, the dark lull of his voice, and said, “I want a reference, that’s all. Obviously, you wouldn’t be as worked up as you are if you didn’t remember me at all. I’ll get you answers, but please, help me out a little.”

Huren got to watch the suspicion enter and hesitantly leave Blake’s gaze. Caught sight of hands tightening, curling into fists on the mattress. Blake was going to make the decision to trust her. 

“Who were you to Adam?” she asked finally, golden eyes burning with emotion. “You were with us, when we were kids, in the Fang.” Blake was trembling enough that it shook the bed frame, reminding Huren of the precariousness of her current perch. 

Everything in her demanded she run, and yet, Huren stayed. With Felis dead and Adam’s change, Blake was all that was left of their little team. Because they were a team. Maybe not in a traditional sense, but all they needed was each other. Blake was hurt, she had been hurting for so long. Why did it take Huren this long to see that?

Giving up and running away wasn’t an option anymore, it never should’ve been in the first place. Now was the time for Blake to see her, really see her, for who she was. She drank from her glass to buy precious seconds as she thought. “We were a family, all of us,” she answered. 

“Impossible,” Blake snapped back. Her voice betrayed her, too choked up. Eyes too misty. She knew, but she didn’t want to believe. And that was part of the problem.

Blinking slowly, Huren waited for hunched shoulders to fall before encouraging, “Just start with what you do know, what you remember.”

Hidden cat ears must’ve tried folding back as Blake’s bow twitched none too subtly. “It’s all jumbled. Sometimes it just in passing, mentions of your name. Other times it’s memories of wrestling or sleeping under the stars. 

“All I know is that when I think of you, I remember Adam. Angry, happy, screaming that wasn’t his, laughter that was. And I don’t know which parts I should listen to, because it feels like there are two completely different Adams. One is the monster that I ran away from, but the other one was a happy boy that I think I loved.” Blake was getting choked up, tears shone in golden eyes. How long had she been haunted like this?

“I see,” Huren said thoughtfully.

Crossing her arms and running a finger under each eye to make sure the tears didn’t fall, Blake finally leaned back. These days, it seemed like everyone was exhausted. Or mostly everyone, at least. Lilly never seemed all that tired. 

Huren froze. Lilly. She was missing, taken by Cinder and possibly Salem. She had to find her. Suddenly, Huren felt like an absolute dunce. How could she have forgotten? How could she get out of here as fast as humanly possible? 

Blake cleared her throat, grabbing her attention. Right, Blake. Huren’s head was spinning again, a whirlwind of thought and activity, aching and pounding. Did she have a concussion?

“Right, well, you are right, in a way, or rather, I agree to an extent. Adam was both of those personalities at some point in his life. He was my best friend, my brother, your boyfriend,” that earned her a flinch, touchy subject, “but he changed. After he lost Divinity, he started blaming Humans for his misfortunes and was rewarded for his beliefs. This led him down a rather dark path, corrupting him in a way, making him the Adam he is today. That is to say, the monster.”

“Divinity?”

Blake must’ve forgotten even more than she’d initially believed. “Adam’s mother,” Huren supplied. 

“You said he was your brother?”

Pain shot through her along with betrayal, guilt, sorrow. “Not by blood, of course, but yes, I once regarded him as such.” Blake’s troubled gaze seemed to turn inward. “Blake, can I tell you a story? I promise it won’t be in French,” she asked, putting in the additive as a side thought. Perhaps she needed some more subtle reminders, a push. 

Receiving a slow nod, Huren said, “Very well.” The beginning would be slow, as always, but at least this time, she wouldn’t have to omit too much. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl trudging through the rain with her mother. She didn’t know where they were going or if they were ever going to stop. 

“Now then, for a girl of five, such a trek can tend to be rather strenuous. When she reached her limits, she collapsed, which her mother wasn’t pleased with in the slightest. Needless to say, she demanded the girl risen, finally admitted there would be an end to this journey. Eventually, she rose and they were able to continue, now with a goal to reach. 

“For quite some time, the girl was pushed in this manner. And it seemed that the more she pushed, the more was expected from her. Her mother only grew more callous in that time. A stern scolding got replaced by regular beatings, usually under the guise of training. She made a sword for herself, like her role models, as her mother had a mission for her.” Huren had to pause to sip at some more water. Exhausted from being awake for so long, she stifled a cough. 

Blake just watched patiently, curious and unwavering. 

Continuing, she said, “See, when she had her sword made, she was told something that changed the course of her life entirely. This little girl, no more than five, was told she secretly had a twin sister she’d never met in her life. Immediately following this, her mother told her that she was to be groomed into the perfect soldier for the sole purpose of protecting this sister with her very life.” Regardless of what she had to sacrifice, her mission came first. A lesson she’d learned the hard way. The door to the room opened, her eyes drifted shut and she dared another sip of water despite the uneasy churn of her stomach. 

Intrigued, if slightly wary, by now, Blake pressed, “And?”

_It’s just a story, Huren_ , she told herself, drawing in a slow breath. “And as a result, her entire world was forced to change, to fit that demand at the ripe age of five. Her and this giant blade that she could barely carry, let alone wield, were tasked with sacrificing every piece of themselves and fighting until the very bitter end. 

“This meant broken bones, broken hearts, burns, cuts too deep to properly heal, malnourishment, and more skeletons in a closet than she knew what to do with. She killed her first Grimm at six. Killed her first man at eight.” 

The last sentence was always an attention grabber. She didn’t need to look to know that because she could feel all of the eyes on her. Judgement, powerful as ever, burrowing into her skin and carving her from the inside out. She was waiting for the outrage, the demand to explain herself, the disgust in each of their voices. 

It was Yang’s voice that cut through the silence first, “You killed someone? Huren, why?” The pretenses were gone, if they were ever there in the first place. 

In spite of the dryness on her tongue, the bile in her throat had her setting her water aside. Now came the hard part. “I lost control,” she admitted quietly, “when I saw what was happening it was like a beast inside me, it just became unhinged and I lost it.”

“What happened?” Blake, this time, insistent and seeming afraid. 

Opening her eyes, she met the gazes of Team RWBY. They watched her with eyes both wide and wounded, Weiss looked sick. Good, they should, she was no better than Adam and it was time they saw that. 

Her voice was shaking now, cracking slightly at the edges as she told the story she’d only ever confided to a boy she thought her brother. “I was-,” she began before it grew too much. “ _She_ was given free reign for one day, so her mother could attend business in a new town they’d stopped at for some extra Lien, Grimm dispatch, a chance to practice her skills. So, she was just walking along and heard this ruckus nearby, heard someone scream.” Blood, scorched earth, melted concrete, blood. The tremor of her voice spread to her shoulders. “At the first sign of trouble, she rushed in. And why wouldn’t she? She had just slain Grimm and saved the town. She was invincible, a savior, a defender.” Her voice caught on the last word, she took another deep breath, stayed the tears in her eyes. 

“In the alley, there were these three men, grown men, standing over a young woman,” she continued, the memory seizing her. She was still in the bed, talking to RWBY, but she could almost swear she was back in that alley. So small, a joke. “They were hurting a Faunus woman, cutting off her animal appendages, ears, one of them was nearly severed when she arrived. She tried to stop them, but one of the men restrained her and they just kept going so she watched, helpless. But when the woman screamed again, she couldn’t just do nothing. So, she fought, thrashed, harder than she ever had; pure rage fueled and blinded her, literally. Her vision gave way to red, but she could still hear… and smell,” she shuddered, tears slipping free now, “and she could still feel.

“Metal clattered on concrete, so many things cracking and shattering, screams filled her ears. Heat kissed her skin, intense and unstoppable, like a wildfire. Burning hair, charred flesh, and smoke filled her lungs.” It was still there, on her skin, under her nails, in her nose. She was going to throw up. 

_You aren’t there, it’s just the story. Just finish the story and it’s all over_.

Her voice was impossible to school, but she did what she could to mitigate the sobs hidden within. “Then, it was over. She could see again, much as she wished she couldn’t. Blood was everywhere, staining her new clothes, her skin, her soul. One of the men remained, but only his torso and head. There was a burning crater in his chest. The woman also remained, spat at the girl, called her a monster and fled. And it was true. While every fiber of that child regretted what occurred, it didn’t change the fact that it did, nor did it excuse any of it.” The ending turned to ash in her mouth. Distantly, she missed her water. 

New silence. Huren came back to herself enough to see RWBY instead of the alley. Yang stared, jaw slack, eyes disbelieving. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the others, choosing to hang her head instead. 

She didn’t expect to hear Ruby’s voice first. “Well, you, err, _she_ regretted it, right?”

“Every day,” Huren answered, not looking up, focusing on her hands, imagining the blood on them. Ruby’s blood might’ve been there if she hadn’t brought Crescent Rose to the docks. The thought alone was enough to make her actually sick. 

“Well, then, that’s it. She didn’t mean for anything to happen, it’s not like she did so intentionally or maliciously,” Ruby declared, sounding like an insane voice of reason. 

Weiss interjected on her behalf, “Ruby, she said her first man, who’s to say it stayed that way?”

“Would she be crying if she was?” Ruby countered and Huren touched her cheeks. Her fingers came away wet and it was all she could do to control the heaving of her chest. She looked up and caught the White Rose pair glaring at each other. From her peripheral, she caught Blake frowning.

The Schnee looked at her and Huren found herself surprised by the scar on her eye, clean, but prominent on her pale skin. “Well, have you ever killed someone out of malicious intent?”

Bile rose in her throat. Not trusting herself to speak, she shook her head, raising a hand to her mouth. Ruby saw this, and the corner of the scythe-wielder’s mouth rose a half inch. 

“See? These things happen, it might even happen to us someday. It’s part of the risk of being a Huntress.”

“Huntresses are supposed to protect people,” Blake put in.

Yang straightened. “What do you think she did, Blake? Would you have left that woman to be subjected to that? What they were doing, that would’ve been worse than death!” Her twin’s voice rose a pitch too loud and Huren winced, rocking now. 

“Would you? If it meant killing a man, possibly more?” Blake refuted. 

“I don’t know, Blake. Would I protect you, or someone else I care about at the cost of another’s life? I don’t know and I pray I never have to, but I would certainly do whatever was in my power to keep you safe. Any of you.”

“Yang is right,” Ruby agreed. “This job is messy and the line of good and wrong can sometimes be blurry, but you have to trust that you’re making the right decision you can for the situation. Huren didn’t know what was going to happen, only that she needed to help that woman.” 

It was too much. She shifted to press to the wall, to move, but she did so too fast. Pain lanced up her body and she hissed against it. 

Her twin took notice immediately, and moved in, reaching for Huren. But Blake was there first, bandages in hand. “Hold still, you might’ve popped your stitches or reopened the wound,” Blake said, voice not nearly as accusative as it was. She moved precisely, redressing the wound and applying firm, steady pressure. 

Wincing, Huren murmured softly so only Blake heard, “I thought the Fang left patchwork to mothers and healers.”

The Faunus stiffened, but relaxed when she spotted the gratefulness in Huren’s eyes. 

“I could say the same to you, but the doctors said your stitch work was absolutely atrocious,” she replied instead, pressing harder momentarily and earning a soft groan. “Whether your actions were justified or not, you still need to heal.”

Something about that brushed her the wrong way and her hand came to rest on top of Blake’s. Defensive amber rose to settle on pained lilac. “Blake, what I did was wrong. I am a monster.” While it was hard to say, it was necessary. 

Gold softened, so did the pressure on her side. “Monsters don’t admit to their faults or feel guilty about their crimes. Ruby’s right, I just need a little time and answers,” Blake told her. “Now go to sleep.”


	8. Yang: Pressure and Fatigue

Huren had fallen back asleep, leaving the rest of Team RWBY to deliberate what they’d just heard. Ruby had taken Weiss to the courtyard to debate with Weiss, not wanting to get too heated and wake the sleeping girl. That left her and Blake to supervise, it should be mostly her job though. Blake had already stayed up for too long fussing over Huren, checking bandages, rousing her to take her medicine. 

While the actions were heartwarming, Yang knew that Blake needed to actually rest. Besides, Huren was her twin sister, ergo, her responsibility. 

This in mind, she put a hand on Blake’s shoulder, getting the attention of her partner. “Hey,” she murmured, hand slipping over until she was hugging her from behind. “I think I can hold down the fort long enough for you to grab a shower, a snack and a nap if you want,” she offered, gentle. 

“What if she wakes up?”

Smiling, tightening her hold. “I think I can make sure she drinks water and takes a few pills,” she snarked playfully. Then, lighter, “Please, get some rest, I’ve got it for a bit.”

Blake shook her head, dark hair brushing against Yang’s skin. Tension grew with every breath in her shoulders. “I’m not tired, I’ll be fine for a while yet,” she insisted. Despite not seeing them, Yang knew that Blake’s eyes were burning with determination. 

_Why are you so stubborn, Belladonna_ , she wondered. In a different circumstance, she’d leave well enough alone, accept her words and rest herself. As it stood, she wasn’t all that tired either, and they still had to be at their best. “Blake, what’s going on?” she asked softly, concern laced in her tone. 

The onyx haired girl turned in her hold, finally meeting her gaze and letting Yang see how tired she really was. After everything settled and the tears dried, they fixed their makeup and took care of themselves. Except for Blake, whose mascara bled from her eyes, foundation messing up and revealing dark circles. Gold observed her, glossy and none too focused. Guilt flashed in those eyes so quickly, Yang thought she imagined it. 

Her partner slumped forward, resting her forehead against Yang’s clavicle. “I just don’t want to wait for answers longer than I have to. It feels like the more I find out, the more questions I have. I just want to know what I’ve forgotten and with all the gaps, I don’t know what to believe.”

So that’s what it was. Yang, while not exactly expecting it, understood that her partner had a tendency of throwing herself into these types of things. Rubbing gentle circles into Blake’s back with her thumbs, she pressed, “Well, what do you know?”

For a moment, total silence between them. Only solace found in Yang’s ministrations and Blake slowly, but surely relaxing under that touch. Blake leaned back enough so their eyes met once again, before frowning and admitting, “I don’t know that I can say anything for sure.” Something hidden there, something Blake wasn’t telling her. But that was fine. Blake would tell her when she was ready. 

Huren taught her that. The thought of her sister had her chest tightening with emotions she wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with. She had a dark past, Oum only knew what all that entailed. All Yang could do was wait patiently and hope to uncover more. Frustrating as it may be. 

“That’s okay, Blake,” she relented. She looked over at her bunk, watched the rise and fall of her twin’s chest for a moment. “I’m going to have to ask you to go and grab a bite to eat, at least. Don’t pretend like you’re fine when I know for a fact the last time you ate was last night,” she added sternly.

Blake seemed rather upset at that and ready to argue, but something stopped her. Mouth closing, she leaned in to kiss Yang gently on the cheek before rising, presumably to go eat. “Fine,” she said, “but just for a quick bite and a shower.”

Baby steps. Yang would take what she could get.

Her girlfriend left the room and Yang’s hand traveled up to her cheek. Part of her, a rather large part, still blamed herself for what happened to Huren. But as it stood there was nothing she could’ve done in the situation. All she could do right now, all any of them could do, was to help Huren back to her feet. 

Of course, several things had been eating at her since the start of this incident. The first and foremost of which was, what happened? What events unfolded that Huren ended up in this condition?

Following that, when Huren regained consciousness at the hospital, she’d been doing her damnedest to leave. Part of that would’ve risen from an understandable fear, she woke up in a strange place with a bunch of white coats standing over her, poking and prodding. However, there was a sort of determined need in her eyes as well.

Leaning forward, fixed on her twin’s resting form, Yang’s mind wandered. Huren had been doing something, she had to have been. Think, Yang. And she did, she pressed herself, tried to come up with any kind of reasoning for her sister’s actions, behaviors. To no avail. 

She just didn’t know Huren. If it were Ruby, she’d be able to draw up a whole story, subplots included, just because she’d spent her whole life with Ruby. Even if it were Blake or Weiss, by now she’d be able to come up with some sort of theory as to what they’d been doing. 

Huren, though? She knew that Huren had a hard life, the kind that left irreparable damage. Killing people would probably have a tendency of doing that. The way she said it, Huren’s penultimate mission was to watch over her. Raised by Raven, but holding resentments. 

She ran a hand through her golden locks. There was the boy that Huren called a brother, an old partner now. Did he have something to do with her? Yang didn’t believe so, unless he was coming back to hurt her or one of them. Terror and betrayal flashed in lilac eyes every time that boy was even mentioned. 

Maybe it wasn’t so drastic. Perhaps she wanted to mourn her lost love or something similar. Try and talk to Raven even, however unlikely that was. Shifting in her seat, Yang checked the time on her Scroll, finding that Huren would have to be roused within the next half hour for her next dose of Aura Suppressants. 

That hadn’t been something she agreed to when they were convincing the doctors to discharge her sister. As it was, the doctors refused to let someone who was a danger to themselves and others leave without continued sedation. She didn’t know if Huren had figured it out yet, but knew she’d piece it together soon enough. Especially when her wounds weren’t healing as fast as they should’ve been. But they were saving that problem for now, until Huren was determined to be stable. 

The doctor’s words still rang in her mind. _“There’s likely a medical word for this that a psychiatrist would know, but that girl is feral. You want to help her? Get her into therapy and keep her under surveillance immediately.”_

Jaw clenching, Yang drummed her fists on her thighs before relaxing with a sigh. Feral? Just because she didn’t know what was going on when she woke up in a strange place? Yang would likely have done the same thing in Huren’s situation. 

_“I lost control when I saw what was happening it was like a beast inside of me, it just unhinged and I lost it.”_ Huren’s whole body had been shaking, her arms moving to wrap tightly around herself, one hand sliding under the blankets, towards where they laid her weapon. Yang’s eyes closed tightly against the image. She regretted what happened, she’d said as much, practically green as she recounted the tale. 

Still, Huren had killed previously, likely continued that action throughout her life. Being a Huntress wasn’t all slaying monsters and saving the day, after all. It was making the best decision on the fly to do what was right, or as close to it as someone could get. Hard choices and casualties were the reality of their occupation. They weren’t soldiers, but perhaps they were something worse, more severe, unbound by the strict rules and regulations of the military. 

_What were you doing, Huren? What happened to you?_ The questions pressed until they slid past her lips, quiet, yet insistent. 

Blake would be back soon, likely unwilling to find repose. Rubbing her face, Yang leaned back in her chair, fishing out her Scroll to get her mind off things. 

She didn’t expect to receive an answer. “Grimm fight, a horde.”

“What?” she asked, looking up at her sister. Huren didn’t sit up, didn’t open her eyes. She looked as though she were still asleep. Chest still rising and falling in a steady rhythm. 

In fact, if it weren’t for the moving of Huren’s mouth, she’d have been entirely convinced she imagined hearing her. “In the Emerald Forest, a horde of Grimm swarmed me. I shouldn’t have made it out, but I did.”

Here, Huren would expect her to ask how many Grimm there were, or how she escaped. “Why were you in the Emerald Forest?” 

That got something of a reaction from her sister who stiffened briefly in the bed. She said, “I was going to visit a friend, actually.”

“But why the Emerald Forest? There’s a reason Ozpin holds initiation there, it’s not safe for people who don’t know how to protect themselves.”

Huren turned on her side, facing Yang now, eyes opening only to narrow. “Meaning?” There was a hint of red in lilac eyes, a growl in her words.

Putting up her hands, Yang replied, “Just think it’s a strange place to meet someone is all.” Aggression wasn’t a response she expected to receive. Which likely implied that she touched a nerve somewhere. Well, there are multiple ways of getting answers. “Since you’re up, you may as well take your medicine.”

She moved to grab the pill organizer as her sister said, “People are strange.”

“How long have you been awake?” Yang asked, offering her the pills and a glass of water.

Huren eyed the medicine warily, but accepted it without complaint, waiting until she’d taken it before replying, “Time isn’t real, but I’ve been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while. How long until I can leave?”

The words echoed in Yang’s mind. Of course, she would want to leave. Huren had a life, a job outside of this room and whatever mission she’d previously been on. “Probably not too long from now,” she lied. “Blake would know better than I would.”

“We both know that’s untrue, Yang,” Huren sighed, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling. “I need to leave. So, you can either tell me when I’m supposed to be healed, or I’ll take a guess for myself.” So much for bluffing her way out of this. 

“I was serious about Blake knowing better than I would,” she said, shrugging and leaning back in her chair. “She’ll be back here soon if you really want to ask.”

Huren’s mouth twisted indecisively, choosing to settle into a frown, brow furrowing slightly. “Right,” she drawled out. “Then, I guess we wait.” 

_I guess Blake isn’t the only stubborn one_ , she thought, crossing her arms. “Huren, why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

“Well, my boss certainly doesn’t know I was attacked by many Grimm and severely injured,” the girl replied dryly, not missing a beat. 

Yang countered, “I’m willing to bet that your boss would understand if you were.”

“He doesn’t know I’m a Huntress,” Huren countered, eyes darkening. 

Touchy. She could work with that. “So, when you have strange hours that don’t coincide with the bookstore, what do you do?”

“Take a day off, what is this, an interrogation? Because, if so, dear sister, you may want to brush up on your skills,” she snarked, straightening for a moment when the door creaked open. “Blake, welcome back.”

“Huren, you’re awake,” her partner said from behind her. 

That seemed to earn a smile, crimson bleeding out of lilac as fast as it appeared. “Awake and coming down with a serious case of hay fever, I’m afraid. Any idea when I’ll be back on my feet?”

Blake crossed the room, Yang deduced when she felt her partner’s hand on her shoulder. She cast a glance to the girl, who was looking back, searching. Yang shrugged, revealing that she didn’t know how to answer the question. 

“A few more days, at least. The doctors were quite insistent that you get your rest,” Blake supplied, smooth. “Why do you ask?”

Huren jumped in, “Because, as much as I love chatting with you and reminiscing, I should probably return to my job.” Yang stood up, stopped only by Blake’s hand tightening. 

“That’s not the only reason you want to leave, is it?” she demanded. Her mind was screaming at her, but it had to be asked.

At her tone, Huren seemed to soften, though she did look away from the two of them. “No, but I don’t want to leave to hurt you if that’s what you’re worried about,” came the answer. 

Blake took a step forward, rested her free hand on the bed frame. “Then why?”

Hands bunched at blankets, Huren’s eyes closed. “Someone I care about was taken from me and I have to find them before they get hurt. Plus, the longer I’m here, the worse condition she’ll be in and on top of that, the people who took her might put two and two together and take one of you.”

“Who?”

When Huren opened her eyes, they were pure scarlet, even though the Aura Suppressant should’ve prevented the mere thought of activating her Semblance. “A group of individuals not long for this world,” she growled. Blue glowing around her sister faintly before disappearing. 

Concern flooded the glance that Blake and Yang exchanged.


	9. Cages of All Varieties

After a couple of days had passed, the miraculous finally occurred. Huren woke up to no one being in the room. Her body itching, she sat up slowly, as to not disturb her wounds. They were healing irritatingly slow, in her opinion. Carefully, she slid out of the bed, Tueur in hand, landing without a sound. “It’s almost like you’re quitting on me or something,” she teased herself, noting the unusual heaviness of her blade. “Now then, let’s find out what they’ve been doing to you, shall we?”

Of course, she didn’t trust them. When they were constantly helicoptering about, fussing over her and prodding at her. RWBY wanted answers that they were certainly due, but what cost were they getting them at. Shaking slightly, she began opening drawers, searching for bottles or paper, something. She’d know it when she saw it. Her eyes caught sight of the pill organizer that they’d stored her “medicine” in. 

“Come on,” she muttered, closing the drawer and opening the one beneath. There was a notebook inside, closed and indiscriminate, except for the fact that Blake’s name was scrawled at the bottom right. 

Whatever moral restrictions she may have had were gone as she flipped through the pages of the perceived journal. Just entries she didn’t read, drawings she didn’t mind. She flipped until she reached a page that had her name at the top. 

Prescription information, complete with doses and when to take it. “Here we go,” she mumbled, scanning the page. Mostly painkillers, a mood stabilizer, and Aura Suppressants. “Wait,” Huren paused, rereading the list. 

They’d been drugging her and suppressing her Aura, thus slowing her recovery time and ability to fight. No wonder Tueur seemed to have grown heavier in such a short amount of time. Staying here and recovering on their time would lead to Lilly getting hurt or possibly worse, which was unacceptable. She had to leave. 

Opening the window, Huren peeked out, checking how far a drop she would be faced with. At a rough guess, she’d be jumping 35-40 feet down without her Aura unless she stayed long enough for the Suppressant to wear off. It was survivable without her Aura but, with her injuries, highly unlikely she’d get away without further damage. 

Her time for debate was cut short when Huren heard the creak of the door. Moving, pressing her back to the shelf, she faced Ruby and Weiss who reacted immediately. 

“Huren, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ruby shouted, blurring into a cascade of petals and disappearing, presumably to block the window. Turning to regain sight of the reaper, Huren was grabbed by two small hands with ridiculous grip. Silver scanned her wildly for signs of injury or discomfort. “What were you thinking?” Concern flooded Ruby’s tone, sending guilt through her in waves. 

Why did she feel guilty? They’d been drugging her and lying about it. She had every right to be absolutely furious with their whole team. 

Still, looking at Ruby, Huren couldn’t deny shame. Turning away, unable to meet that puppy dog gaze any longer, she was caught off-guard when Weiss Schnee, herself, had appeared just before her. Surprisingly, her breath was warm as she shouted, “Do you have any idea how high up we are? In what fantasy world would you jump out of a _third-story window_ and be miraculously uninjured afterwards?”

Flinching, she leaned back, creating space and resisting the urge to fight. _Too close_ , she thought, slightly panicked. “Well, it’s not like it’s something I haven’t done before,” she snapped instinctively, backing up. 

Both girls were blocking her escape routes and there was no telling when Yang and Blake would be back. She grit her teeth before forcing herself to relax, raising her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry,” she said, closing her eyes against Ruby’s worried expression and Weiss’ unreadable one. If it were just Ruby, she could’ve handled it. Even if she had to face Weiss on her own, she’d have had some kind of chance if she could avoid those Glyphs. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, “but I shouldn’t stay here. Shouldn’t have been brought here in the first place.”

“What are you talking about?” Ruby asked, brows knitting. “You’re family, Huren. And you’re hurt, so what else are we supposed to do?”

Weiss didn’t take a step forward, but didn’t reach for her weapon either, which was a good sign. She simply crossed her arms and said, “I don’t know who you are, but you’re clearly important in some way or another to everyone else on this team. Just let us help you get back to your feet.”

Back to her feet? “I’m on my feet right now,” she pointed out, hopping in place once to emphasize and regretting it nigh instantaneously. For her part, she didn’t wince as fresh pain shot through her and skin stretched uncomfortably tight. Silently, she prayed she hadn’t ruined her stitches. “Right as rain,” she added, hoping they wouldn’t hear any indicators otherwise in her voice. 

Both girls seemed to blanche at that. Huren could’ve made a hypothesis as to why based on what she discovered in Blake’s journal. Ruby raised her hands as well, reaching out, hesitating when Huren backed up against the bed frame. While she wasn’t tormented by the beast that haunted her in her youth, Huren couldn’t deny the feeling of entrapment that encompassed her now. It clawed at her throat from the inside, demanding she snap back against her better judgement. She couldn’t snap against Ruby, couldn’t hurt her in that way. That would hurt Yang.

“Huren, please, you’re on a lot of pain-killers, which would attribute to you being able to stand upright for the most part, but it’ll still be a little while before you’re fully healed,” Ruby tried explaining.

She couldn’t stop herself. “Pain-killers? What about the Aura Suppressants you somehow all just failed to tell me about? That’s why it’s taking so long for me to heal, isn’t it?” she challenged, fists curling and dropping protectively in front of her. 

That earned her a different reaction, at least. The former half of Team RWBY exchanged a look before slipping into action. Huren ducked under Ruby, whipping about and sweeping her leg out, diving for the window, hearing the whirr of Glyphs forming around her.

Golden light, fresh air gusting against her face. Her body screamed its complaint to her as her shoulders broke free to the outside. 

Hands gripped her feet, slowing her, catching her. 

Snarling, she wrenched herself forward, curling as much as possible before the golden light encompassed her and she was suspended in space. “No,” she howled, digging her fingers into the window sill, veins bulging with effort. 

Between both Ruby and Weiss, she was hauled back into the dorm and promptly wrestled to the bed. Ruby restrained her arms to keep her down while Weiss held her in place with another Glyph. 

“Weiss, call Blake and Yang, let them know what’s going on,” Ruby ordered. 

Bucking furiously, she thrashed fruitlessly in their hold. Growling, she tried summoning her Aura, growing irate when it refused to come. “This isn’t funny, let me go,” she demanded. 

A hand rested softly against her cheek and she flinched on instinct, panic flaring when she didn’t actually move. She couldn’t react to the touch physically, forced to remain still and endure. Bile filled the back of her throat. Head spinning, she thought to the last time she’d been touched so tenderly. Memories of Felis made her seize, breathing harsh and gasping. 

“Stop,” she croaked, begged, “please.”

Thankfully, Ruby seemed to recognize her distress, pulling away. She appeared relatively upset, but there wasn’t anything Huren could do about that. One day, she’d apologize to the young Rose. As it stood, Ruby pulled up a chair and took a seat next to the bed, fixing her with a worried gaze. 

Weiss stood behind her, having just gotten off her phone. “They’re on their way. I told Yang not to freak out,” she reported, crossing her arms. Her tone had been crisp and professional, but with a hidden layer of concern. It was almost mistakeable, or it would’ve been if Huren hadn’t been used to hidden emotion from her stoic mother. Despite her cool demeanor, she was going to exhaust herself holding a Glyph in place for so long. Perhaps if she were to fight against her constraints, she’d have a chance of wearing Weiss out. 

Unfortunately, she’d also exhaust herself more than she already was. She’d been defeated in her attempt of escape and there would be no portal to serve as her salvation. Without her Aura, she had no chance of breaking free. She needed to understand. 

“Why?” she asked, fighting back the panic and trying not to focus on the fact that she couldn’t move. She looked over at Ruby, who flinched hard enough that she caught it even in her peripheral. 

Ruby turned away. “The doctors weren’t sure how volatile you’d be without sedation after the hospital,” she admitted, voice small but wholly truthful. 

Volatile? They thought she was violent, uncontrolled. _A monster_. Huren let herself fall entirely limp, staring at the bunk above her. There was no annoying stain in her vision anymore, not that she could enjoy the fact. 

Not long after, Yang crashed into the room, red-eyed and with Blake hot on her heels. “Huren, what the actual fuck were you thinking?” her sister demanded, loud and frantic. Closing her eyes, Huren resigned herself, knowing that Yang had a right to be upset. 

They’d stripped her of her Aura because they’d been afraid of her. Those that she cared for, fearing her for what she’d done. The image of the woman she’d saved all those years ago burned freshly behind her lids. Ash in her mouth, smoke in her lungs, eyes watering from it all, she remembered. 

“ _You’re a monster! A freak!_ ”

In her ears, she heard a chorus of “Yang!” and furious stomping that she couldn’t ignore in the slightest. She braced herself for a beating. She deserved much worse, but it was a start at least. 

Hands gripped her by the arms and panic rose with bile in her throat, squeezing her eyes even tighter. Try as she might, she was helpless to stop the shaking that overtook her, even held as she was. “Please,” she begged, breathing the plea as though she were being choked. Too much. And her consciousness hadn’t even the decency to let her pass out. “Just make it fast.”

“Yang, let her go. Weiss, release your Glyphs,” Blake’s voice demanded quietly, almost enough to convince her to open her eyes. Almost.

Weiss’ screechy voice would’ve made her flinch if she could. “Are you insane? She just tried jumping out of a third story window, knowing she didn’t have any Aura while she was injured!” she exclaimed.

That was enough to get Huren’s attention and her eyes opened once more, meeting scarlet immediately. More than that, there was pain and betrayal in those eyes which cut deeper than her mother’s blade ever had. Both a gift and a curse, their eyes were a constant reminder to Huren of where they came from and what they’d lost.

Behind Yang, the rest of team RWBY had closed in on each other, arguing whether or not to let her go. Blake’s bow was off, her ears laid back flat on her head even as she kept her voice down and controlled. However, Weiss was not nearly so controlled, loud enough and with a voice high enough to give Huren a headache. 

Other than what she saw immediately, she didn’t see much in Yang. “I won’t run,” she said softly, probably just loud enough to be heard by Yang and Blake. 

“How do we know you won’t?” Despite the sting the words inflicted, Huren understood that they were warranted. 

She replied, “Something tells me that it would be much more difficult to jump out a window with four Huntresses-in-Training stopping me, even if I had my Aura.” 

All four of them were silent in the face of logic. In different circumstances, Huren may have found herself chuckling at the totally absurdity of the situation. Victory shot through Huren when she was able to raise her arm from the bed. Relief followed as she sat up and tucked herself against the wall, as far as she could manage without appearing too strange. 

Four Huntresses-in-Training stared her down, waited for her to make a threatening move. Honestly, that was why they maintained their student status. Even she knew that prior to doing anything, disarming your opponent was the most important course of action. They’d learn eventually, but she’d take what bit of luck she found here. “Right then, may I speak to Blake and Yang alone?”

Weiss bristled immediately, “Not in your wildest dreams.”

At the same time, Ruby nodded and said, “Of course.” The partners exchanged a meaningful look before Weiss turned tail and stormed out of the room. Huren felt a pang of sympathy when Ruby sighed, shrugged at her and followed the Schnee. Muffled shouting could be heard outside the door as soon as it closed. 

That was the easy part. Now for the hammer to fall. “Why didn’t either of you tell me that you were suppressing my Aura?” she asked, staring at her wrists. 

Silence stretched out for some time. “How did you find out?”

“Blake’s journal,” she admitted. “You might want to label your pages a little more overtly,” she added, looking up at Blake. Much to her surprise, she didn’t spot anger in Blake’s gaze. Instead, the Faunus watched her, eyes almost apologetic in nature. 

Blake’s lips twitched upwards in a weak attempt of a smile. “Right,” she said, “well, we didn’t have a whole lot of choice in the matter. Not if you wanted out of that hospital.”

“That doesn’t mean you had to actually give me the pills, or withhold that information. I understand you both want answers, but essentially keeping me hostage isn’t the best way to get it, I promise you that,” she said, tucking one knee up to her chest. 

Yang’s eyes were losing their crimson edge, but it was still visible, streaking over her irises. Stark in contrast to the light lilac they usually were. “You’re not a hostage,” she tried arguing, taking a seat where Ruby had been. 

Huren arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “Then I can leave, right now? I can walk out that door and no one will make any attempt to stop me?”

“Of course not, you’re not healed yet!” Yang took a deep breath, likely to calm herself, when Blake put a hand on her shoulder. 

Then, Blake took a seat on the bed, crisscross and facing her. Her voice was level, calming even, as she said, “Huren, we want to make sure that you are actually ready to get back up before we let you leave.”

“I know myself better than any of you would and I’m fine, even without my Aura. As it stands, there are matters that I must tend to. And while I’m grateful it seems you failed to inform Ruby, I’ll accomplish nothing by sitting here and twiddling my thumbs,” Huren said, eyes narrow and tone tight.

She could tell without being told that Yang wanted to touch her, but reconsidered after taking in Huren’s appearance. Closed off, withdrawn. If Yang had tried, Huren wasn’t entirely sure what she might’ve done. Within, she felt her self-control and patience wearing down to a fine wire, just on the verge of snapping. 

“Listen to us, Huren. You won’t be of any use to the person who was taken from you like this. Why don’t you just tell us what’s going on?”

Aggression surged. A familiar curl of energy licked at her from within. How long had it been since she last took her medication? How long would it take for a dose to wear off? “I can’t tell you. This isn’t your mission, it’s mine and it’s personal.”

“But we can help,” Blake put in, getting Huren’s attention. Blake hadn’t made a move towards her. Of course she hadn’t, working with panicking youths in the White Fang would’ve instilled the ability to see warning signs in her. Even if she didn’t fully recognize this ability. Her posture was relaxed, but somehow also ready to move at a moment’s notice. Eyes focused on hers, carefully masked. “Ozpin can call Huntsmen and Huntresses to organize a search.”

A quick glance at her hands. No bluish glow heralded the return of her Aura. “You can’t help, because I can’t tell you. Getting you and anyone around Vale involved could put a lot of people at risk. Ozpin would agree with me on this,” she said. 

“How would you know?”

Crossing her arms, she replied, “I know Ozpin, he’s the reason I can come on campus as I please. Can I just leave?”

“Can you just answer our questions, no snark, no questions, for once?” Yang asked in return, mirroring her posture. 

“Yang,” Blake said, only to be stopped when the blonde raised one hand.

Betrayal and anger festered in Yang’s eyes, she continued, “Why did you try to run?”

Huren could answer that. “Why would any prisoner?”

Yang slammed her fist against the bookshelf hard enough that the repercussions spread to the bunk bed. Dangerous, death trap. Those just slid into the same slot as this alleged bunk bed. “The real reason.”

“I need to save someone and protect you. That’s what I do, Yang.”

“Protect yourself then!” Yang shouted, moisture gathering in her eyes. 

Huren got up from the bed, doing her best not to meet the challenge. “I take care of myself enough to do what I must. But I am not going to stay here, Yang. Now, you can let me go the easy way, or I’ll make my own way.”

Blake stood up as well. “Huren, we’re not going to hurt you. We ask you to return that kindness.”

She thought that Huren would hurt them. Why wouldn’t she? Huren checked her hands again. Nothing. Yet, her Aura was sluggishly flowing up, pressing against her and requesting release. “I’m leaving, Blake. I will come back and I will answer any question you have for me, but I have to go. I’ve already lost Felis,” she said, attempting to appeal to her old friend’s memory. 

It worked in that Blake appeared to be almost stricken by the name. Which provided her an ample amount of time to mentally congratulate herself and turn to Yang. “Yang, I didn’t do this to hurt you, and I know you don’t see it that way. But just understand, I will never abandon you and I will come back.” That was the truth. She would come back. She was going to complete her mission. Protecting Yang was the entire purpose she lived. Coming back, she'd come back.

“Let me go with you,” her sister tried weakly.

Huren shook her head. “I’ll take the pain killers, you two just cover for my disappearance and I’ll make it up to both of you.”


	10. The Search

She’d spent so long at Beacon, too long. What’s worse was that she had little to no perception of time while she was kept in team RWBY’s dorm. But clearly, days had passed, if not a week or two. The thought of Lilly being held captive for so long had Huren’s stomach churning painfully. This was her fault and no one else’s. Her fault for denying Salem and Cinder. Thinking herself clever for doing so and going as far to challenge the one sent to recruit her. 

After all this time, she was a child. Just that scared little girl in the storm, being shouted at to rise again. She couldn’t rest then, she had to now. The painkillers jingling in her pockets reminded her of that. As did the stretch of her scabs and skin with every movement she made. Given that she hadn’t taken the Aura Suppressant in some time and it had begun to return when she was talking with Yang and Blake, she’d give it a couple hours until it returned to her properly. 

Which led to the question. Where did she go? 

She couldn’t go back to Beacon, couldn’t talk to Ozpin because of all the fuss that would create. Vale didn’t need chaos right now and she needed to resolve her own problems. Going to work wouldn’t solve anything and would lead to phone calls and possible hospitalization. Huren shuddered at the thought alone. Going to her apartment was an option, but if Cinder knew about Lilly and Yang, they would certainly know where she lived. Someone would be there, waiting for her to go in. They’d probably take her as well.

Stormband was appearing more and more like a loose end now that her head had cleared. Cinder was smart. She’d be able to piece together that Huren got her information from a reliable source. And very few people knew about her existence. But that was both the pros and cons of running in small circles. Everyone knew everyone by some stretch of the imagination and Captain Stormband gave information to those who could afford it. 

Glancing up at the sky, Huren assumed it was around noon. She put her hands in her pockets, turning a couple corners and slipping into a public park that connected to the Emerald Forest. All she’d have to do was hop an electric fence and avoid being caught by security. Something she’d done a million times before. 

Mission on hand: heal enough to find Cinder, get Lilly back, don’t die the process. She didn’t want to kill Cinder, began to doubt if she could, but had to focus on what truly needed to be done. One thing was certainly clear, Salem had backed her into a corner. 

Anger built in her at the thought, building upon her stresses and frustrations until her hands tingled. 

She pulled them from her jeans, catching sight of the glow encompassing them. Shaking them so the blue faded, she glanced around the area, finding a family of three flying a kite some feet away. Few people were in the park, which made sense. Most people had work or school to attend at this time. Others would be too preoccupied with finding food during their lunch hour to stop by. 

Still, she couldn’t test her Aura’s control around people. Memories of the last time she tried manifesting it physically ran behind her eyes. 

With it being daytime, if she could get enough of a grip on her emotions, the Grimm wouldn’t be as drawn out. Which is why, despite her instincts, Huren briskly walked until she was out of view of onlookers to climb a tree and leap over the fence. After doing so, she checked her bandages and assessed herself. Nothing appeared to be reopened, no fresh markings of blood. Everything seemed to be functioning as it should. 

She slipped into the tree-line until she was properly hidden from view. Here, she leaned against the trunk of a tree, slumping to the ground and stared at her hands. 

“Focus,” she murmured, concentrating on her Aura and trying to draw it out. Anger, sorrow, pain, grief. All of her emotions swelled, swirled within. 

Huren sighed, reaching down and searching for the power that she knew resided within her. It was in there somewhere, she just had to find it. Deeper until she felt something crack and give way inside of her. 

It snapped, twisting into something new entirely. Reminders of her youth sparked up, the beast that had haunted her every step she took. She thought that the beast had long since left her behind, back when she lost to Adam. 

Her Aura surged forth, burning around her hands in multitudes of dark blue and purple. Even hints of black accented the flames. Gasping, she stopped, shaking her hands again. 

“What?” Silence greeted her, answered without disclosing anything. Nevertheless, her Aura, active once more, lit up and spread through her body like wildfire. She tilted her head back, thoroughly invigorated by the energy coursing through her. 

Confused, she pushed up on her shirt, revealing her bandages. She undid the bandages, revealing her midriff which winked back at her without a trace of injury. “No way,” she mumbled in disbelief, prodding at where the hole in her side once was. Even the stitching was gone, seeming to have vanished, or burned away. 

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Huren rose to her feet, leaning against the tree when her head spun. Illness crept up, overtook her until she was doubled over, retching up all the contents of her stomach. Tears leaked from her eyes as vomit turned to bile, turned to dry heaving. Falling to her knees, she trembled and attempted to avoid the pile. 

“Not completely healed up yet then,” she noted with a groan. “Got it.”

Wiping at her mouth and rolling onto her back, she stared up at the sky and waited for her body to quit trembling. Many thoughts and fears began festering and conflicting in her mind, but she couldn’t afford to pay it any mind, else she dive too deep. 

She wasn’t going to think about Felis, whatever vision or fever dream she’d had of her. Nor Yang and the hurt she caused her sister. Couldn’t think about her mother. Flat out refused to freak out over the looming threat that Salem posed. She wasn’t going to think about Adam or the phantom pains in her back. 

What she could think about was the information pertinent to her mission. She had to get back to Lilly’s house and find the clues she missed, because there was no way she didn’t miss something. 

No one could’ve pulled off that picture perfect of an abduction without serious help. Which meant that Huren missed something that should’ve been obvious. Now was the perfect time to organize her thoughts, so she crossed her arms. “Come on, Huren,” she muttered. “What are we overlooking?”

Digging into her scattered memory, she thought about the minimal damage to the house. Other than what she did, there was no hint of struggle. No signs of forced entry either, not until one went upstairs into the guest bedroom. If only she’d paid more attention while she was there. Hands curled into the fabric of her borrowed t-shirt, mouth set in a worried frown, Huren tried desperately to piece together what she could recall of the crime scene. Blood, glass, the chess piece. There hadn’t been anything else, right?

Her thoughts were cut short when a loud howl cut through the forest. Sitting up, she cast a quick glance about, trying to catch a glimpse of the Grimm who made the noise. Rising, she observed that the sky was darkening. The sun would soon be setting, bringing the night and, with it, all the bad that resides within. 

Carefully, she regained her feet, leaning against the tree until she felt stable, and pressed on to Lilly’s house. Pace brisk, she walked, trying to monitor her emotions as best she could. Eliminate risks that weren’t worth taking. Rage threatened her occasionally. She swallowed, heart speeding up in her chest as she felt the curling of new power in her blood, and repressed everything. 

Another howl sounded off, further away. Likely to be a returning call. It didn’t have to be Beowolves, but her instincts couldn’t accept it being anything else. Whether it was or not, she used the howls as motivation to keep moving. 

By the time she made it, the sun had set in its entirety, leaving behind the shattered moon and the stars in its wake. For the most part, the house looked to be untouched since she was last here, aside from the door that had been haphazardly replaced just before she left. Her hand reached out, pausing prior to making contact, evaluating, but she continued and pushed it open. And while her muscle control was better than it had been when she was bleeding out, the door still swung wide open without any effort on her part and slammed into the wall behind, causing her to flinch. 

Aside from the noises she made, there was naught but silence that stretched out into the empty house. Huren crossed the threshold, Tueur already in hand, mentally preparing herself for an encounter. Unease settled in her bones, though she didn’t dare push any Aura into Tueur, afraid of what may happen. While she did have Aura, it wasn’t familiar to her, outside of when she lost control in her youth. That Aura was all-encompassing and took over her body. She couldn’t afford to risk that if she didn’t have to.

Instead, she took in the main room, flinching at the sight of her own blood and the ichor splashed here and there. She must’ve been in worse shape than she originally believed, she thought as she ran her fingers over some of the crusted blood on a drawer. Judging the appearance of the scene, no one else had been through. Either that or they were careful. Much more than she was. 

“Easy, Huren,” she muttered to herself, gliding on light feet and clearing out the rooms one by one. Check the main area, behind the obvious hiding spots and constantly checking the doors and windows. Downstairs had the living room, dining area, kitchen and closets. Her only companion was the eerie silence that accompanied her, disrupted only by the sound of her breathing and the noises of the forest. 

Something had to be said about the way forests came to life at night. And perhaps she’d be the one to say something if it weren’t annoying and working to distract her more than help her. Now was the time to look for clues she may have missed while injured. Unfortunately, save her own mess, she wasn’t able to find anything. That only left the upper level. 

Heart quickening, she returned to the staircase, taking the first step. The wood creaked its complaint under her weight as she climbed. Blade before her, balance shifting with every step, she advanced to the door she’d been dreading to open. 

Her hand shook as it wrapped around the handle and she pushed her way inside, revealing a scene similar to the one her memory provided, with one exception. 

Sat in the center of the bed, cross-legged, a small girl with mismatched eyes stared at her. As she did, a smile slowly spread across delicate features. Her eyes lit up with what appeared to be equal parts delight and malicious intent. Familiarity gnawed at her brain unhelpfully, but one thing was painfully clear. She was no longer safe in the hall.

Darting in the room, Huren slammed the door behind her and pressed her back to the wall. Eyeing up her opponent, her mind provided countless possibilities for the fight was likely about to unfold. Years of training had her eyes darting minutely about the room, ensuring there was no one else, all while keeping the girl in her line of vision. Though, it didn’t seem that she was going to launch an attack anytime soon. 

If anything, she seemed to be amused with Huren. Much in the same way that a cat might be amused with its prey before it pounced. 

“Who are you,” she demanded, raising her sword in defense. 

Striking pink and brown blinked, her smile growing, innocent with just a twist of darkness. Wait, pink and brown?

“You work for Cinder,” Huren realized, remembering those same eyes from the bar. She’d been in disguise then, posing as their server, and attempted spiking Huren’s drink. “What do you want and where is Lilly?”

Some bizarre emotion gleamed in those eyes. Was that excitement or perhaps just eagerness? Either way, the girl moved in a flash, faster than Huren could blink. She rose to her feet and neatly flipped off the bed. With an extension of the arm, she held out a piece of paper. Clearly, she wanted Huren to take it.

Unnerved by the sudden movement, Huren slipped into a fighting stance, demanding, “Read it out for me.”

The girl’s smile gave way to a pout as she tapped her throat and shook her head. Wouldn’t talk, or couldn’t?

“Mute?” Huren guessed.

In response, she received a sorrowful nod and shrug. The girl extended her hand again. She could be lying, but that would be a rather particular thing to lie about. 

Options limited, Huren leaned forward and snatched the letter with one hand before pressing back to the wall. She didn’t trust the girl just as she didn’t trust that they were alone in the house. If Cinder left behind one, the rest would likely be around. Her eyes remained fixed on the dichromatic girl until she adjusted herself, holding Tueur with one hand. Whoever the girl was, Huren wasn’t able to discern what made the alarms in her mind go off. 

A tiny thing, probably not even breaking five feet and incredibly petite, the girl tilted her head as if to ask her why she wasn’t reading. It didn’t appear as though she had a weapon on hand, not that Huren was appeased by this. Weapons were easily hidden, holstered. Moreover, anything could be a weapon.

Clearing her throat and going slowly so as to be able to focus on both the girl and the page, she read, “My name is Neo, if you’d please. If you want to see the woman who lives here again, you will follow me without further questions. Should you refuse to, we will hurt the girl, you’ll never see her again and our next target will be your sister.”

She kept her breathing slow and forced her hands to remain steady, but her pulse quickened and fear spiked. A large part of her wanted to crush the paper in her hands, but that wouldn’t solve anything. They were telling her to trust them blindly. To believe that Lilly was still alive because they otherwise wouldn’t have any leverage. She couldn’t ask questions, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t point out facts.

“I don’t know if she’s alive based on a slip of paper,” she stated carefully, trying for a slightly annoyed appearance to mask her panic as she tucked the note into her pocket.

The young girl, Neo, raised a hand to her chin, tapping it thoughtfully before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a Scroll. After tapping the screen a few times, she turned it to Huren to reveal a stream of a woman that was bound and blinded. Without a doubt, that was Lilly, tied up in what appeared to be some storage room.

“Let me out of here,” came a call, the voice, though hoarse from screaming, was unmistakable. They’d had her for so long already and it was her fault. Bile rose in Huren’s throat, threatening her composure. Closer inspection revealed what appeared to be a variety of cuts and bruising all over her friend. While she’d been healing, they’d been inflicting wounds on Lilly. 

_Don’t lose your temper, Huren. If you do and use your Semblance here, then you’ll lose the only lead you have, I’ll guarantee it._ That was her mother’s voice. Not Raven, that was Divinity’s kind voice, patiently advising her as though she were being taught how to knead dough. 

There wasn’t time to waste worrying about the advice. Drawing in a deep breath, she nodded, mostly to herself. “Okay, she agreed, “I’ll accept your conditions. Lead on.” She put Tueur away, possibly against her better judgement. 

Neo smiled again then, bright and sadistic, closing distance until Huren’s head tilted down to look at her. Warm breath tickled her skin, Neo was too close. Not that Huren had any time to think at all before a hand touched her chest, making her freeze in place. Danger and panic set off countless alarms within as that hand rode up over her shoulder and closer to her neck. Neo would be more likely to kill her than kiss her, what with the residual vomit smeared about her mouth and them being on different sides of a war. Yet there wasn’t even a hint of disgust or hate in Neo’s eyes, only amusement, really. Her fingers twitched at her sides, free once more to reach back for her blade.

Then, Neo pushed her and the world as she knew it shattered.


	11. Taking Control

Things moved quickly after Neo brought them the lovely change of scenery. For starters, Huren had been forced to her knees and her ankle likely shattered when Neo slammed something heavy against it. A sharp cry passed her lips as she moved towards Tueur instinctively. Only for a pointed tip to be poised at her throat, causing her to freeze in place. Nothing had changed in Neo’s eyes. They held the same demented delight that they had since the first moment of their encounter. 

Hands grabbed her arms, forcing them behind her back before rope tied them together roughly, tightly. Those same hands shoved her to the ground, which was hard and cold. 

This was fine, she’d expected this sort of welcome out of villains she’d wronged. Actually, it was somewhat warmer than she’d anticipated. 

Neo, surprisingly strong for her size, hauled her up to her feet and shoved her forward into a new room where she caught sight of the woman she least wanted to see. She’d had this arranged, since the beginning. Darkness lit up like oil in Huren’s body, easing the sharpness of her ankle to a dull throb. Whatever this new Aura was, it was undoubtedly powerful. More than that, it scared her. As soon as she regained herself, checked her emotions, she reigned it in. 

Cinder’s eyes were exactly as she remembered them to be. Cruel, tempting, calculating. They were Blake’s eyes if Blake had become what Adam had. Truly, they were the eyes of someone sick and twisted. 

New fire had been ignited in those eyes, which snapped to her immediately. A lazy smile curled Cinder’s mouth, as though she were nothing but pleased with herself. 

“Good work, Neo,” she praised distractedly, waving her hand dismissively. 

On cue, Neo released her, retreating back whence they came. The click of a door registered dully in her senses. Huren kept her footing, standing tall, but trying not to appear defiant or enraged. 

Other than her hands, she hadn’t been restrained physically, nor had they taken her weapon from her. She catalogued this fact, glancing around the dimly lit room and finding nothing of use. It was essentially a cell, four walls of slate gray concrete with a matching floor, save the difference of a grate in the center. Moreover, other than the two of them, no one was in the room and no windows or cameras were visible to monitor them. 

This was all bait. They wanted to bait her into attacking, use that as an excuse to hurt Lilly. Right?

Whatever it was, Huren couldn’t risk starting a fight here and now. Not until she either knew where Lilly was, or until she was safe. Her best bet was to bite her tongue and bide her time patiently, something she was never very good at. 

Maybe she should’ve taken Blake up on her offer of assistance. This could’ve gone a little differently. Instead, she’d played right into their hands and found herself clinging to meagre prayers. 

Cinder finally moved and Huren’s attention snapped back to the other woman. Fluid, graceful. “Huren Branwen, we certainly didn’t part on ideal terms during our last interaction,” Cinder purred, placing a hand on her chest. A leg slid between both of hers and Huren took a step back, earning her a pout. “Now then, don’t you know it’s rude to deny a woman after getting her so worked up?” Leaning in, mouth next to her ear, Cinder added, “There hasn’t been anyone who’s dared to challenge me the way you did in quite some time, you see, and I find myself rather _unsatisfied_.”

Huren closed her eyes, remaining silent, not trusting herself to respond. She just had to appease them until Lilly was safe. 

The hand that had been placed on her chest roamed north, settling neatly around her throat, not squeezing, not yet. But the warning was clear enough.

A low purr of a voice filled her ears again, “Don’t tell me you’ve grown shy on me now. Tell me instead, darling, how you plan to make it up to me.” Cinder pressed herself to Huren and Huren grit her teeth together, not wanting to chance canting her hips back and creating precious distance once more. 

Yet, she didn’t say a word. Even though her stomach churned uncomfortably and she spent every second resisting the urge to vomit again. No, she merely hoped that Cinder would grow tired of the charade she was playing. 

Some small victory was awarded to her when the hand on her throat fell away and she dared to open her eyes. Only to close them instinctually when Cinder slapped her, shoulder rising since her hands couldn’t. A shuddering breath reached her ears. “Oum, you have no idea how good that felt, Huren,” Cinder told her. “But you know what would be even better?” 

In an instant, something was against her neck again, sharp and pressing. Huren’s eyes opened to find Cinder holding a dagger to her neck. That wouldn’t do. Her promise to Yang echoed in the back of her mind and she swallowed, allowing the tip of the blade to penetrate ever so slightly. 

“If you’d fucking give me what I want, Huren,” Cinder crooned, hatred finally appearing in her eyes. Some form of mania followed close behind. 

When her heart settled enough, she replied, “I was told to follow without asking questions. Apologies if you mistake my silence for boorishness, I merely don’t wish to disobey.”

That, at least, took the knife from her throat. It gave way into cinders before disappearing entirely. Unfortunately for her, Cinder’s hand caressed the side of her face almost tenderly before slapping her again. She murmured, “Of course, you don’t. Perfect little soldier you are, always following orders, aren’t we? We’re not so different, you and I.”

She was a dirty liar. Her words crept under Huren’s skin, made it crawl in disgust. Huren may have been a monster, but Cinder was something else entirely. While Huren found herself repulsed by her violent actions and past, Cinder seemed to revel in it. Staring into the absolute sanity of Cinder’s gaze, Huren understood what true insanity was. 

“Careful,” she said, trying for a lighter tone all things considered, “I won’t be as easy on the eyes if this keeps up.” Yang had been influencing her more than she originally thought, it seemed. 

Fingers curled into the fabric of her shirt, dragging her in way too close, Cinder eyed her thoughtfully, searching for fear or any cracks in the façade. “Cute,” she mused, pushing until Huren felt cool stone against her back. “Hate to ruin your face.” In one smooth motion, she slammed Huren’s head into the wall hard enough for the stone to audibly crack and cave slightly. 

She let go long enough for Huren to fall to her knees and puke up bile, barely able to prop herself back up into a sitting position. Her shoulders strained with the effort of using her bound hands to remain upright. Her vision was swimming, sticky warmth gathering at the nape of her neck before spilling around one side. 

If she used her Aura, this wouldn’t be happening, her mind supplied. She chastised it, knowing that using her Aura would result in something far worse for both parties. So, she fought it and when the spinning of her head went to a manageable amount, she rose up to her knees and looked back up at Cinder. 

“Why aren’t you using your Aura, Huren? We both know it isn’t shattered yet, and you’re taking all the fun out of this if you break early,” Cinder scolded almost gently, crossing her arms as though she were genuinely disappointed.

Pressing back against the wall to ground herself, she spat on the floor. “You have me, Cinder. I’m the one you want, so please, just let her go,” she croaked, blinking back tears. Huren found herself trapped in a losing battle with herself, rage slowly consuming her. Power followed like an obedient hound, promising her that letting go and embracing what she truly was would be the best option she had. 

Which is exactly why she couldn’t give in. Despite every fiber of her being screaming at her, she couldn’t chance it, couldn’t explode and lose herself like she used to. Not when Lilly’s life and freedom were at stake. 

“Look at you, playing the hero like it’ll make a difference. Like trying to do one good deed will atone for all of your sins, cover up the monster we both know you are,” Cinder purred, moving and kicking her in the ribs. 

Huren coughed up blood, tucking her face into her shoulder and making an absolute mess of it. She was a mess. 

Cinder tutted, running a hand through her hair before gripping and slamming her head back and forth, into the wall over and over again. “We’ll just have to see how long your little act can hold up, won’t we?” There was a minute change in tone, almost negligible, if not for the fact that she was literally killing Huren. Cinder was barely masking her absolute fury, and it was only being made worse since Huren wasn’t giving her the satisfaction she craved. 

The words cut deeper into her than her injuries did. If only for the fact that they were undeniable. Still, Huren made a promise, not only to Yang, but to herself. And she would die before she went back on it. 

She waited for Cinder to cease slamming her before looking up again into bright amber. “I know what I am, but please, _please_ , don’t punish her for that. Just let her go,” she begged. 

“You won’t be able to keep playing hero when She comes for you,” Cinder stated, no, _promised_. Her words didn’t have any effect on Cinder when she was like this, of course they wouldn’t. All Cinder wanted was to bring her down in the worst way she could. 

Part of it was almost comical. The way that Cinder’s true colors slipped in during these moments. Just as a normal person’s true nature is revealed in the face of confrontation. Huren saw pain in Cinder that she’d seen in herself all her life, but she also saw what it turned Cinder into. Someone who not only inflicted pain on others, but who relished it. She felt justified in her actions in some twisted way, even acknowledged that they were morally wrong. 

So, yes, while part of it was amusing, Huren actually found herself pitying Cinder. In some other world, she may have found herself in Cinder’s shoes. Might have grown up to be callous and wanting nothing more than to wrong the people who wronged her until that turned into hurting innocents. But instead, she had Raven, who taught her survival and gave her an education, and Divinity, who filled in the gaps and showed her what it meant to feel unconditional love. More than that, she had Felis, who proved that she was worthy of being loved in any capacity. 

These were the things that she had to cling to. She wouldn't ever fill those shoes. Couldn't.

It was just enough to temper her. Her gaze softened, head tilting and smearing her own blood against the wall behind her. “Salem offered you something too, Cinder. Something you couldn’t refuse,” she realized.

Like a match to kerosene, Cinder snapped, “Don’t you say Her name, you, filthy piece of shit.” Her eyes poured flames. Huren touched a nerve, a sensitive one at that. What was Salem to Cinder? A savior of some kind, perhaps? A mother figure? A lover? The last thought sent a shudder through her. 

She may have been gay, but even she had her limits. 

Deciding to press her luck when she wasn’t immediately struck, she went on, a smile curling the corners of her mouth, “But I’m right though. You wouldn’t be around doing her dirty work otherwise, you’re too smart for that. I’m thinking empress of a large-scale underground crime syndicate, complete with a self-proclaimed title and a dark reputation that precedes you.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Huren knew she’d gone too far. A fist, this time, collided with her jaw and sent her skidding across the floor. There had been a great deal of Aura in that punch, she noted, longing for the use of her hands if only to cradle her freshly dislocated jaw. Blood filled her mouth again, dripping out the corner. Heels clicked against the floor harshly. 

Rough hands hauled her up so she was off her feet. If not for the fact that she was literally getting the life beaten out of her, Huren would’ve celebrated the change. Unadulterated fury was so much easier to deal with than misguided passion with violent tendencies. Not that she was well-versed in the latter.

“You think you’re so clever, making a mockery out of Her and this whole war. Thinking you can get in _my_ head. You’re nothing but a child and you don’t know a damn thing about me,” Cinder hissed, throwing her back down, finally appearing disgusted. 

A weak, wet laugh bubbled in her chest, more blood leaking past her lips. As much as it hurt, her lip tugged upwards. She must’ve looked downright demonic, but she couldn’t help it. Healing herself before coming here and again right before all this started, only to end up in worse condition than ever. 

Cinder spat on her, the fluid landing on her cheek and sliding down. “You’re just lucky that She keeps her word. If it were up to me, you’d already be dead, with your little girlfriend right alongside,” she snarled, cupping Huren’s jaw and forcing it back into place with a pop. 

For a moment, the pain intensified to a point where Huren thought she’d pass out, but it passed. Testing her jaw gingerly, she groaned, “Good to know Salem isn’t giving up on me just yet. Now let Lilly go and give me proof you are.”

She was in literally no position to negotiate or demand anything, but Cinder had given her enough. Salem had given them orders to let Lilly go. They still thought she could be swayed. Let them.

Silence stretched out between them, aching. Huren’s heart pumped faster, adrenaline flooding in and sharpening her senses. Then, she whipped out her Scroll and began tapping away, turning it and allowing her to see. Another live-stream, this one blurry and shaking, on someone’s Scroll. “This is linked to Neo’s phone, I’ve just given her orders to take the girl back home.”

She saw Lilly, saw the fear in her eyes and the way she writhed and thrashed to get away from Neo just upon seeing her. What had they been doing to her? Nevertheless, she watched as a hand gripped Lilly’s shoulder and for a moment, the Scroll seemed to fizzle out, then they were in Lilly’s guest room again. The Scroll fizzled again and she returned to the place that Huren was currently trapped in. But Lilly was safe. Huren wanted to cry with relief. 

Cinder turned off the Scroll, slipped it back in her pocket. “There we are then,” she said smoothly. “Now perhaps we can focus on what’s really important here.”

“What do you want from me, Cinder?” Huren asked, the first question of the night.

Cinder crossed the room, using her shoe to push Huren onto her back and delivering another sharp kick. She watched as Huren curled into the pain, gasping. “I want to know what happened to that fire from our last meeting, Huren. Where’s all of that rage that I know is just simmering under the surface?” Cinder’s voice was rising now, shouting. 

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she managed, “Maybe I just realized that you weren’t worth my rage.”

She braced for another blow. Shocked when it didn’t come, she peered up, catching the change in Cinder’s expression. The elder woman was looking down at her coldly, thoughtfully. Then, she broke into a wide, toothy smile. “Of course not,” Cinder agreed. “Not until I say Felis, at least. That was your little pet, wasn’t it?”

Immediately, fresh fire coursed through her, scalding her from the inside out. Her Aura activated without being called, dark and tingling. Wounds healed over faster than they were inflicted and Huren shook violently as they did. It felt too good, her head began to spin until the room did as well.

Even Cinder’s voice came through in a rather disjointed way. “There we are, there’s that unbridled temper I missed so dearly. I’ll bet you want to hit me, want to get back at me for daring to mention the name of your dead whore,” she mocked. 

Red was filling Huren’s vision, so much that she couldn’t make out Cinder’s facial features. Wetness on her cheeks. The ache of her jaw clenching tight enough to break and her Aura barely holding it together. Smoke entered her nose, her hands fell to their respective sides, free. 

_Don’t do it, don’t give her what she wants_.

Head pounding, blood boiling, she took a step back, covering her face with her wrists, pressing and trying to maintain some precious semblance of control. They were baiting her, waiting for her to slip up so they could use it against her. Body quaking with effort, she let out a slow breath, feeling the heat on her sensitive skin. “I know what you’re doing, and I’m not going to fall for it,” she said, voice tight. 

“I think you will, I think you’re not going to have a choice.”

She heard the swing coming, the hiss in the air. Upon contact, the limb Cinder used retracted nigh instantaneously. Charred flesh joined smoke. Huren wasn’t going to be eating anytime soon anyway. 

_You could kill her, end it right now. She wouldn’t stand a chance_.

_Huren, don’t do this_. 

Was that Felis’ voice? Divinity’s? Lilly’s?

They pleaded with her fractured mind, trying to dissuade her. Huren felt good, felt in control. She pulled back slightly, caught sight of the dark flames licking at her wrists and she swallowed hard. Was this really who she wanted to be? Could she let herself become whatever this was?

“I’m tired of fighting,” Huren decided slowly, moving her wrists. Cinder was some feet away, cradling her arm to her chest. Huren stood tall and unafraid of the woman who’d previously been using her blood to create a mural. “But I can promise you, and I can promise Salem as well, that I am not afraid of killing each and every one of you before I stop. Because you’re right, I _am_ a monster, but I’m the monster that you should be afraid of.”


	12. Cleaning Up

“Now then, Neo. Don’t ever come back and bother me or my friends again, because I promise you, you’ll regret it,” she snarled, fist clutched tightly around Tueur’s hilt, wielding the blade one-handed. 

They were alive, unfortunately. Too many for her to handle comfortably at once and maintain control. But with a twist of luck, and a small hostage situation, she made it back in mostly one piece. And, of course, Neo was relatively unharmed. The cut on her neck was already healing over thanks to her Aura. 

Said girl nodded, indicating her understanding, while her eyes betrayed her burning hatred, before shattering into glass. A process, admittedly, much more interesting to see when Huren had no part in it. 

Strength drained from her body and her shoulders slumped now that she was actually alone. Cinder had taken more from her than she thought. _Probably shouldn’t have pushed her so far into a corner either_ , she thought bitterly, plucking a glass shard from her arm. For a moment, she took in its shape, the way her blood slid along its surface and back onto her fingers. Beautiful in its own twisted way, but she refused to call it such. 

Flicking it to the earth below, she brought her arm up to inspect for further damage. Strong as her Aura may be, glass in the arm isn’t fun for anyone. 

Finding nothing, she lowered her arm and drew in a deep breath, letting her Aura trickle free to heal over her injuries. She didn’t look, outright refusing until the tingling of her skin faded away. It was still dark and made her stomach twist and turn itself into knots. Acknowledging whatever this was meant accepting that an extension of her soul had twisted enough to match that. That her soul had darkened enough to become that and turn her into the savage beast she’d spent so many years locking away. Swallowing hard, she pushed the thought back and shook her hands, flicking off excess blood. 

At this point, she wasn’t too clear on whether or not it was hers, but that didn’t really matter all that much. Not nearly as much as the guilt pulsing through her as her gaze landed on the house she’d been taken to. Internally, she still debated actually entering. Last time didn’t turn out so well and though Lilly had been returned, she held her doubts.

Nevertheless, she had to make sure, for a fact, that Lilly was okay. That she would be safe. Above everything else she had going on in her life, this took priority. Hands shaking, she raised her fist to the door and knocked twice. “Lilly?” she called out, voice just on the wrong side of strained. Clearing her throat, she tried again, “Lilly, are you home?”

Waiting. In reality, it may have taken two minutes, but in her mind a lifetime had passed with her heart in her throat for the door to open. Lilly peered out, seeing who it was before opening the door wide, revealing her in a thick sweater and dark pants. Relief crashed over her at seeing her friend, former friend? Not important, she wasn’t going to focus on that now.

“Oum, Huren, what happened to you?” Lilly exclaimed, eyes blowing wide, a hand raising to cover her mouth. 

If it were a different person, in a different circumstance, she’d have understood. But as it stood, Huren had no clue how Lilly could spare even half a heartbeat worrying about her after what happened. Had she even seen herself? She must have at some point. Bruises littered her skin, peeking out where clothing failed to cover, darkening her cheek. 

And just like that, Huren wished she could’ve done more to hurt Cinder and all of her minions. More than just wound their pride, she wanted to make them _suffer_ for what they did. Simultaneously, Huren longed for nothing more than to reach out and touch Lilly. To tend her wounds and ensure that she’d be okay.

But she couldn’t do that. That longing was the exact reason why she couldn’t. Tongue darting out to wet her lips, she ran a hand through her hair, stopping when it got caught in a clump of something sticky. Time for honesty. End things on a clean slate. She could do that. “You were kidnapped because of me, Lilly. People are trying to start a big war that’s not going to end well for anyone and those people took you in an attempt to hurt me. They thought it would convince me to join their side. 

“I went to make them let you go, as soon as I could, I swear. And I’m just, I’m just so sorry that it took me so long and I’m so sorry that they hurt you.”

Whatever madman said the truth hurts must’ve been a pathological liar. Because admitting even that took such a weight off Huren’s shoulders that she was fighting back tears. 

“Hurt me? Wait, are you-? Then, that means, they took me, which means you saved me?” Disbelief filled hazel eyes and Lilly’s hands clutched at the sleeves of her sweater. She took a step back, one foot slipping behind the door. Reality was setting in, Huren could see it and felt oddly reminiscent of Neo’s Semblance, or whatever that was. Now, all that was left was the words that would destroy her.

_Then all of this was your fault, you monster. I hate you._

Eyes closing, muscles tensing, she waited for her newfound relief to be ripped away and replaced with the jagged edges she’d come to call life. 

Yet those words didn’t come. “Huren, you saved me,” Lilly repeated, as though amazed, voice cracking slightly. 

Blinking her eyes open in befuddlement, Huren watched a smile spread on Lilly’s face as tears streamed down both of her cheeks. Lilly’s voice continued to crack as she managed, “I thought they’d kill me, asking questions and hitting me over and over. I didn’t know what they wanted, they wouldn’t tell me, but I didn’t think they wanted to hurt you too.”

Crying? Lilly was crying and smiling. Two things that certainly didn’t blend with her words. Why was she doing either right now? Why wasn’t she screaming at Huren to leave and never come back?

Every single one of her instincts demanded she take Lilly and bring her close, to comfort her. But she couldn’t do that. Because she would just end up hurting Lilly. Her hands curled, grabbing at the hem of her shirt to ground herself. “Lilly, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she said lamely, the words sounding useless to her ears. “And I swear, I’ll leave and you’ll be safe.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than had the wind picked up behind her, strong enough that it sent her stumbling into Lilly’s outstretched arms. Those same arms wrapped around her tightly, the warmth of her breath tickling Huren’s ears as she said, “Don’t even fucking think about it, you dummy. You aren’t going anywhere covered in blood with a story like yours left untold.”

A story. It was a coincidence, had to be. Still, Huren found it rather unnerving. Felis’ memory burned freshly in her mind and so did the pain and guilt that Huren had been fighting for so long now. The last interaction they had, real or not, Felis had asked her to make a story for herself. One to tell her love when she saw her again. 

Naturally, Huren had stiffened in the hold at first, fight or flight activated, pulse racing. But as Lilly continued to hold her, sniffling and burying her face in Huren’s neck, warmth spread through her at the shared touch. A moment had passed, her heart thudding wildly in her chest and Lilly murmured, “Huren, please stay.”

Before she knew it, Huren was taking a shower, obediently scrubbing herself clean of blood that wasn’t hers and blood that was. She wasn’t entirely sure about how it happened. All she knew is as soon as she hugged back, she’d been ushered upstairs and forced into the bathroom. 

Water scalded her skin, sending steam up and into her lungs, easing her aching body. Under the spray, her body relaxed and her mind relaxed with it, too numb for much else. Felis’ words played like a record on loop, her smile, sad but sweet in memory. In a sense, it was the only kind of peace she’d had in days. At some point, tears slid from her eyes, blending with the water, grime and blood and washing away down the drain. 

Too many emotions to fight. She just embraced them all. The pain of seeing Felis again being all-encompassing, of course. But also the comfort and relief that came with Lilly being alive and safe, and for apparently not coming right out and hating her for what happened. Anxiety when _at least_ trailed so closely behind. 

Controlled breathing until the tremors ceased, until the water didn’t wash away with a pinkish tinge. Clean, she decided, inspecting her arms which had been, unfortunately, scrubbed raw and red skin glared back at her. For the most part, she was uninjured, save a couple bruises her Aura didn’t fully take care of. 

Stumbling out to dry off, Huren gripped the counter as her stomach growled a complaint, effectively reminding her that she’d been neglecting herself. Throughout the course of the day she’d lost, quite literally, everything that had been in her stomach and she hadn’t quite had the chance to replenish that loss. Nor had she the chance of hydrating at all. 

She tucked the thought among her priorities and ran the fluffy towel over her skin, soaking up the water that clung to her like a second skin. Bright red shone proudly, a reminder that she was alive and real. Despite what had happened, she didn’t lose herself to the monster and could continue fighting. A sigh slid past her lips and she wrapped the towel around her middle, preserving her modesty. She cracked the door open to ensure she was alone before slinking towards the guest room.

Everything was still in a disarray. She’d known that when she dropped her things off prior to her shower, but she didn’t have anywhere else to go. Lilly’s personal room was strictly off-limits and no amount of pleading would change her mind about that. 

Sitting on the bed, next to Tueur, a neatly folded pair of pants and shirt waited for her. Her clothes were nowhere in sight, which offered a limited number of options. Ruffling her hair once more for good measure, she made quick work of slipping into the outfit. 

Returning the towel, she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping to find Lilly there. Her efforts were rewarded when she saw her friend chopping an onion at the counter. She cleared her throat softly, announcing her presence. 

Lilly began turning, already speaking, “I hope you don’t mind the mess too terribly, I haven’t started….” She stopped, frozen for a moment, before smiling too wide to be natural. “Haven’t had the chance to clean up quite yet.”

Something was wrong, but the discomfort and confusion in Lilly’s eyes helped stay Huren’s tongue, for now. Helped her smile back and offer, “I’ll help you clean.” Guilt clung to her much as an odor would as she knew much of the mess to be her own. “When I came here the first time, I may or may not have broken in.”

That changed Lilly’s expression, eyes going from troubled to curious, if stern, in an instant. She set the knife down, grabbed a rag and wiped her hands on it, habitual. “Save it for supper,” she said, waving her off. “But if you do want to help, would you mind taking care of the guest bedroom? All that glass everywhere, one of us is bound to get hurt again. I’ll be sure to call you when soup’s on.”

As though on cue, her stomach rumbled and she covered it with one hand, smiling sheepishly. “I can do that,” she agreed, earning a chuckle. She tried not to flush or make herself more a fool than usual. “Where do you keep the cleaning supplies?”

“Hallway closet, next to the bathroom.”

Nodding, she went back upstairs, a new mission to keep her too busy to think about little things. Keep herself numb, an order in place, she began working methodically. Sweep up the big hunks of glass, vacuum up what’s left. Bundle up the bedding to shake out outside, and then throw it in the laundry. Next, came the blood. 

In order to be cleaned properly, thoroughly, the carpet would need to be shampooed. She’d just have to do what she could for the moment, beginning with the walls and the surfaces. 

After being left alone for so long, the blood had long since dried, stains set. Small reminders remaining on the walls even after she sprayed and scrubbed them down, not wanting to continue, lest she go through the paint job and cause harm to the dry wall beneath. She made a mental reminder to pick up stain remover for Lilly the next time she was in town, doing her best for the carpet and wincing when a tiny piece of glass pierced her finger. Seems she’d have to vacuum again for good measure.

By the time she found herself satisfied with her work, the only big issue was the window, which would need replacing. Lilly would probably have to call someone for that, or Huren would have to get glass panels and tools to do it herself. Finished, she brushed her hands off on her borrowed shirt and an odd thought struck her. 

Why was she thinking so domestically about fixing up this room? As though it were a project in her home rather than doing a favor for a friend. 

Before she could even open her mouth to argue with her mind, Lilly’s voice broke in, “Huren, dinner!”

Blinking, mouth hanging open, mind racing, Huren pointed at no one in particular. “You keep your mouth shut,” she growled. And brain, she added mentally, pointedly. 

Descending, slipping into the dining room and then a chair, Huren found herself facing an actual pot of soup. Lilly was already blowing softly on a spoonful, raising her gaze to acknowledge Huren’s presence, stiffening again slightly when she did. 

_Alright, two times in one-night counts as something definitely being wrong_. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, concern coloring her tone, heat creeping up her neck. 

Lilly seemingly shook herself from some kind of trance and offered her an apologetic smile. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just, well, it’s just a little off-putting,” the elemental user admitted. 

“Me?”

“No!” came the explosive response, hands flat on the table. Huren flinched visibly, scooting back away from the table. “No,” Lilly repeated, hands raising and knotting in her hair, “I’m sorry. It’s just, seeing you in those clothes, it’s sort of bringing back some old ghosts.”

Ghosts? “What kind of ghosts?” she asked before she could stop herself. Immediately, she tried to remedy the situation by adding, “If you don’t mind saying.” 

She was halfway out of her seat and only starting to relax again when Lilly let out an audible huff of air. Huren watched as the other girl toyed with her soup momentarily, as though she were debating. “My father,” she said quietly. “He died a few years ago. He was sort of all I had, you know? Mom died too, but I was too young to remember her.”

An orphan. _Probably don’t mention that_. “That must’ve been hard,” she said carefully. What would Yang do in a situation like this? “I could probably just stick with a towel if that’ll make you feel better.”

Was that her imagination or did a hint of red creep across Lilly’s skin? Her friend didn’t look up, replying, “It’s fine, just surprising is all. I’ll get used to it.”

“Are you sure?”

Finally, Lilly looked up again, nodding confirmation. She wore a sad smile, but insisted, “Let’s just eat some dinner. I want to hear your story.” To emphasize her point, she brought a spoonful to her lips and sipped at it. 

Huren took a moment to collect her thoughts, dishing up her own soup. Part of her wanted to press, but she figured Lilly would tell her when she was ready. Now, she had a story to tell. Even if it wasn’t for her love. “Well, I got attacked by a massive horde of Grimm and sustained some heavy injuries in the forest on the way to see you. When I came here to clean up, I noticed you weren’t home, found it strange. After patching up somewhat, I found what they left upstairs and realized they took you.

“Of course, after losing more than my fair share of blood, I believe I overlooked a few things and went to seek assistance in finding you. However, I was found by my sister and her team of Huntresses-in-Training who took me to a hospital, against my will, mind you, for treatment. They proceeded to keep me locked up for several days while suppressing my Aura so that I could heal without attacking anyone. Eventually, I managed to escape, Aura still suppressed, and came back for further investigation.

“From there, things got rather lazy, seeing as how Neo was waiting for me. She took me to their base and by gaining me, they no longer had reason to keep you, so they let you go,” she concluded, setting aside her spoon and taking a large drink from the bowl itself. Warm, but no longer hot. 

Lilly remained silent for a moment, then she scoffed, “You are such a bad storyteller.” Lilly continued using her spoon and further jabbed, “Plus, we have silverware for a reason.”

Shrugging, she set the bowl down and said, “I don’t see the purpose when I can just drink it. I’m hardly in danger of burning my mouth. As for my story, those are just the simple facts.”

“How did you escape then?” Lilly asked, leaning forward and tilting her head. “From the kidnappers, I mean,” she added, “not your sister. Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.”

Stomach churning, Huren pushed her bowl away and pressed her thumbs together. “Well,” she began hesitantly, revising in her head as she went, “after Neo brought you back, I decided that it was time to fight back.”

“Fight _back_?”

Pressing harder and dropping her gaze, Huren continued, “I didn’t want to risk them hurting you or worse. So, I couldn’t chance fighting them until I knew that you’d be safe and Cinder took that as an opportunity to get me back for the last time we fought.”

For a moment, silence stretched between them, much in the way a lazy cat might. Then, “She hurt you, didn’t she?” 

Lilly shouldn’t have asked her that, shouldn’t have cared enough to. That part didn’t matter, nor did the words she shared with Cinder. She shrugged silently, biting down on the inside of her cheek hard. It was bad enough that she relished letting loose enough to hurt Cinder and her underlings. To force Neo to take her back and leave them no option but to leave her alone for the time being. Lilly didn’t need to know any of that. She didn’t have to see the monster lurking just under the skin. 

Especially when they’d come back for her eventually. They’d aim to kill her now if they finally understood she wouldn’t join them. She was dangerous to keep around, a loose end. 

Chair legs scraped against the floor, feet pattered over to where she sat. Pressure on her chin had her head tilting up into hazel that she couldn’t have ever mistaken to be emerald. And yet, the way those eyes searched hers, stern and unyielding, it was practically identical to the way Felis would look at her when her love didn’t believe her. Pain built and manifested into a knot that closed her throat off. “She did,” Lilly murmured, more to herself than Huren, when she found what she was looking for. “Huren, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Hand rising to capture Lilly’s at her chin, Huren refuted, “Don’t apologize, please. This was my fault, _you_ got hurt because of _me_.”

Lilly tugged her hand away and Huren let her, slumping back and looking down. Only to be entirely blinded by cloth when Lilly enveloped her in another hug. “I did get hurt,” Lilly admitted quietly in her ear. Huren tucked herself tighter into the embrace, hoping Lilly wouldn’t notice the flush that had definitely overtaken her face. “But I’m not getting hurt anymore, because you _saved_ me, just like a hero would. Just like a Huntress.”

Like before, her arms found themselves wrapped around Lilly until Huren was clutching just as tightly, if not tighter, as her friend. “I had to,” she managed.

“You are a hero,” came the response, quiet, but sure.


	13. Yang: Struggling

Two weeks. A whole two weeks had passed since she and Blake let Huren leave. They’d gotten no word at all on whether or not Huren was even alive in that two weeks. And it certainly wasn’t as though her team were making matters much easier on her.

Ruby, first and foremost, had been more upset than Yang could ever recall seeing her, demanding that they leave immediately to search for her. There had been emotion in silver eyes that wasn’t expressed through words. A whole separate trouble beneath the façade that she’d hastily put up. One that Yang should’ve asked her about instead of losing her head right back. 

“ _What do you mean she had to go save someone? That’s our sister who’s injured and you just let her go without even trying? She needs to save herself! And if she can’t, then that’s our job as family_!”

Her eyes burned, thinking about the way Ruby’s voice cracked and her hands forming tight fists at her sides. What stung worse was her response.

“ _Ruby, she’s not like us and she doesn’t need our help, just let it go_!” 

It cracked the mask of strength that she’d donned for so long. She knew that as soon as the words left her mouth and it was only reaffirmed when Ruby’s silver eyes widened in disbelief. 

Whether it was to spare her, or if Ruby was finally willing to just let the topic drop, their discussion ended short after that with Ruby leaving the room, door slamming behind her. 

While Ruby had met Yang in her hotheadedness, Weiss certainly made herself a contender as far as stubbornness went. Sometime after her argument with Ruby, Weiss had returned to their room, stating that she’d put out a missing persons report. 

“ _All I know is letting someone like Huren out without any sort of supervision doesn’t seem like a wise idea. After what she did at the hospital and her almost attacking Ruby, letting her run rampant, well, she should probably be detained_.”

She was trying to be reasonable and, in a way, she was. As far as Weiss was concerned, Huren was nothing but a vicious brute who attacked anything and everything. Except for the fact that she wasn't. Not anymore than any of them were, at least. Yang knew for a fact that while Huren very much could've forced her to talk or fought her off anytime she wanted, she chose not to. Instead, she demonstrated kindness, gentleness until she didn't have an option anymore and she had to be firm. 

“ _You can’t say you wouldn’t act defensively if you were hurt and panicked, Weiss. After you’d been attacked and injured, people running up to you, overwhelming you, and then waking up in a strange place with even more people standing over you. I might’ve just done the exact same thing_.” That had been Blake, the only one keeping Yang grounded and not going out on a one-woman rampage to find her missing twin. 

Of course, Weiss being Weiss, Blake had to do quite a bit more convincing to get her to call off the search. Not that it yielded any results anyway. Anything at all could have happened to Huren and they’d be none the wiser.

Biting back a scream by smothering herself with a pillow, she fell back onto her mattress. It creaked under her weight, but didn’t sway, which was always something of a reassurance. According to her Scroll, it was two in the morning. According to her body, it was time to get up. So, despite the comfortable refuge of her bed, she rolled off her bunk, landing soundlessly on the floor below. 

Even with that bit of luck, she cast an emergency glance to Blake’s bunk, praying she hadn’t woken her partner. 

Seconds ticked by, then a whole minute of absolutely nothing.

Relief escaped her in a sigh and she slipped a pair of sneakers under her arm before tiptoeing out the room to slide them on. Then, she crouched, double checking they were properly tied and the laces were tucked in. 

This was fine. She was _fine_. As far as her team was concerned, between classes and their new missions, she was just more tired and easily irritable. Not because she thought Huren wasn’t coming back. No, not in the slightest. 

The muscles in her back tensed briefly, so she stood, tapping the ground twice with her left foot to check the feel.

After finding herself satisfied, she left the building and began to sprint. Just as she had been for the entirety of the past two weeks, she first went about the whole perimeter of Beacon’s campus, then looping back towards the main road. She ran until her body gave off so much heat that steam billowed off of her in clouds that then streamed behind her. 

She ran, hearing her sister’s voice in her ears. Lilac eyes that she could’ve mistaken as her own were seared into her mind, desperate, but determined and a wild light to them that refused to be contained. Bandages that peeked out from under a shirt that had ridden up slightly from movement. 

She’d come back, she said that she would. Yang’s teeth grit together hard enough for her jaw to ache and she ran harder, pushing until her lungs screamed at her and she threw up in the grass. For the briefest of moments, the relief of vomiting blocked out the guilt of letting Huren go. But it always came back. 

“ _Yang, she’s our sister, what do you mean we’re not going to go look for her_?” Ruby had sounded so outraged by her passiveness, and rightly so. Oum only knows what she would’ve done if the situation had been flipped. 

Instead, she’d echoed the words that she had so many times already, feeling hollow and exactly as a broken record. “ _She’s going to be okay, plus, she said it herself, she’s coming back_.” Those words have long since turned to bitter ash on her tongue.

“Why couldn’t you have just stayed?” she asked aloud, trembling, tears leaking free. “We could’ve helped you, if you’d just given us the chance.”

Wiping at her mouth, she braced one hand on her knee, panting heavily. Every time she closed her eyes, if only for a second, she saw Huren. Her sister, limp on the concrete with paramedics crowding around her, fussing and moving her onto a gurney. Red staining the ground she’d left behind. 

Or she’d see the red in Huren’s eyes as she backed into the wall, mouth forming a snarl, sword protectively before her. Yang could still feel the crackling energy of her sister’s Aura, shifting and expanding. Could smell the burning fabric in the air and see the smoke trailing off her sister’s shoulders.

The doctors had said that it was something her Aura. That they’d need to perform tests to see if there was some deeper issue at hand. As it was, she was a danger both to herself and others. Suppressing her Aura temporarily would be for the best. 

Straightening up, Yang spat into the grass for good measure before turning and walking away. Judging the sky, it was still a couple hours until the sun rose. Which loosely translated to her having a couple hours until she had an excuse to actually be awake. 

Her feet led her to the main road until she was at the fountain that marked the halfway point. Just ahead was the gate. She slowed to a stop, biting the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. 

Leaving would be so easy. All she had to do was walk right out the gate and she could head to Vale or scour the forests. Slipping into the Emerald Forest or even the Forever Fall would be a piece of cake. Even if she got caught, she could say she was just on a walk or something, apologize and go about her day. 

Water from the fountain gurgled softly, as if contradicting her. She turned towards it, rested her hand upon the smooth stone. Something dripped from her chin and splashed onto the stone, darkening it slightly. Whether it was sweat or tears, she wasn’t entirely sure. 

With her motorcycle, she could get all the way to Vale without any problems at all. She wouldn’t even have to wait for the Airships to start running. 

“ _Just understand that I will never abandon you and I will come back_.” Those had been her words. Beyond the wildness of her eyes, Yang saw an apology and a plea in her sister’s gaze. She’d recognized that she’d hurt Yang and knew not only exactly how, but how to remedy the situation and convince her. 

Hot tears stung her cheeks and she wiped at them furiously, forcing her to take several deep breaths in an attempt to regain her composure. Just because there was no physical thing preventing her from leaving didn’t mean she could. 

Huren would come back. She promised she would. Besides, the information that she had on Huren and her life was limited in general. Yang didn’t have the slightest clue who Huren was saving, why she had to go alone or how long that mission would take. All she knew was that Summer’s missions varied greatly in length, ranging anywhere from a couple days to five months, which didn’t do much in terms of bringing comfort. Actually, a fresh wave of pain and anxiety followed the thought. After all, Summer promised that she would come home too. 

Her hands curled into fists, one of which struck the stone of the fountain. Hard enough to hurt without Aura, not enough to cause damage. Eyes closed briefly to school her emotions. “Don’t be like Raven, like everyone else,” she prayed, voice cracking. “Come back, Huren.”

Some part of her, the aching heart and soul of a little girl who wasn’t yet convinced that Mom wasn’t coming home or that Mom wasn’t even Mom, expected a response. Like this were some kind of movie or some poorly-written story where everything would work itself out in the end just because it _had_ to. Because all fairy tales had to end with happily ever after. 

Unfortunately, this was neither, seeing as how it was simply life at its finest. A breeze rolled by, frigid and only made colder by the sweat she’d worked up. Shivering, she brought her arms around herself, turned away from the gate and headed back for the dorms. 

By the time she’d made it, there was probably an hour until Blake would wake up, which provided her with plenty of time to recompose herself and clean up her mask a little bit. Of course, she’d still have to be cautious not to rouse anyone as she gathered her things for the shower, she thought, pushing into the room quietly. 

Yang padded over to the closet, snagging her towel, uniform and underwear. As she emerged, a soft voice reached her, causing her to freeze in place. 

“Where’d you go?”

_Shit, shit, shit_. She turned in time to catch sight of two glowing golden eyes staring right at her. They were diagonal. Blake was tilting her head at her, probably because she hadn’t fully woken up. 

She shrugged, knowing her partner would have no trouble seeing her, but hoping that Blake hadn’t caught the panic of her expression. “Couldn’t sleep, went for a run,” she whispered back, angling her head towards the door before turning around and leaving. 

Knowing her partner would worry, she waited a moment for her partner to emerge from their room, hair disheveled and eyes glossy from sleep. Clutched to her chest was her uniform that would likely get ruffled if held like that for too long. That in mind, Yang began making her way down to the showers, innately knowing rather than hearing that her partner was following because sleepy or not, Blake was and always will be a ninja. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw Blake cover her mouth to yawn before she mumbled, “It’s Huren, isn’t it? You’ve been looking for her.”

They’d turned a corner and Blake bumped into her hand, reflexively moving to hold it. As they continued, Yang couldn’t help but remember the last time they’d visited the showers together. Embarrassment crept up her neck as desire curled in her stomach. Even after telling herself that they weren’t going to do that again, she couldn’t help it.

So, she insisted, “I’m serious, I just couldn’t sleep, so I went out for a run to burn off some of my energy.” 

She didn’t want to talk about Huren, or what she really thought about the whole situation. Yes, she knew that her partner would be understanding, but Yang just couldn’t bring herself to reveal her feelings. Not when she felt so raw on the inside and couldn’t trust her composure to hold. 

By her side, Blake hummed softly, voice a bit stronger as she prodded, “Alright, say it is just you running. Why is it that you’ve been waking up at ungodly hours every morning for the last two weeks to go for a run?”

“I don’t know, I just can’t sleep and I can’t just lay there in bed, so I go out and run,” she said lamely, knowing she was playing right into Blake’s hands. 

They entered the showers and Yang made short work of setting her belongings down and taking her sneakers off. “I just think it’s interesting, seeing as how you hate running and typically lift weights to blow off steam,” Blake commented, voice casually indifferent and causing Yang to look up to get a gauge on her partner. The Faunus was looking back at Yang, focused and notably more awake, with an understanding gleam in her eyes. She added softly, “I’m worried about her too, Yang. We all are.”

_No_. She wasn’t doing this. Not right now, not with Blake, or anyone really. Maybe with Summer, but that was all the way back in Patch. Gritting her teeth, she looked away, tugging her shirt off and casting it aside. Her shorts and everything else soon joined it on the floor while she slipped into the shower and turned the water on. As soon as it hit her skin, a fresh wave of steam was expelled from her, along with a hiss of satisfaction that slipped past her lips. _This is fine, Yang. Just convince her that you really do believe she’s coming back. You’ve made them think you’re not totally fucked up for this long. What’s a little longer_?

When Blake spoke again, it was oddly close. “Yang, it’s okay if you’re worried. You don’t have to pretend to be strong for our sake.”

_Mission abort, we’re in too deep_. Alarms went off with abandon in her head and she risked turning her head, only to catch sight of her girlfriend, fully bare. The heat from earlier returned full force and she swallowed hard. Guilt tempered her, trickling in and reminding her that the last time she and Blake shared a moment like this, her sister had nearly been killed. 

Her head fell and her hair with it, forming a protective curtain under the spray. “She’s coming back,” she said, just loud enough for Blake to hear. Of course, it didn’t sound as if she believed it. 

A hand contacted her shoulder and another slid to her back. She risked a peek up at her girlfriend who met her gaze empathetically. “Yes, she will. We’ll just have to be patient and wait until she does.”

Gold watched her without judgement, without expectation. Blake’s cat ears had tilted back, shielding themselves from the water. Yang slumped forward, giving in just a little bit, arms wrapping around Blake’s middle and burying her face in the crux of her lover’s neck. 

“Hey,” Blake murmured, “Huren will come back. She’s too stubborn for anything else.”

Moving to rest her forehead to Blake’s, she asked, “What about you, have you been remembering anything?” 

Another hum, so low and deep that it could quite nearly be considered a purr. “Not very much, just these little bits and pieces now and then. But that might just be my imagination trying to fill in the gaps.”

Blake moved, pushing back and creating enough space so she could reach past Yang, retrieving the brawler’s shampoo. There was an unspoken question in her eyes.

Nodding once, Yang turned around and tilted her head back. “Like what?” she pressed gently.

There was a pop of the bottle being opened before the feeling of Blake’s hands digging into her scalp firmly. Her partner worked meticulously, keeping her hair out of her face and the soap from her eyes. “Like Felis,” Blake admitted after a moment, when Yang’s shoulders relaxed.

Biting back a groan, she did her best to stay focused as her partner worked. There was something important in Blake’s tone about Felis. “Felis,” she mused, “that was the name of Huren’s lover, right?”

“She told you about her?”

Tortured longing and adoration had entered Huren’s gaze at the mere mention of her lover. The expression had firmly been ingrained in Yang’s memory, as had all the words Huren had to offer. “A bit, I suppose. She told me a story or two, but I still have a bit of trouble picturing her.”

Her partner urged her chin up so she could begin rinsing the suds from her golden locks, humming softly as she worked and thought. “I might be able to help with that. She was a chipmunk Faunus, had brown ears. Very pretty, matching brown hair, that she always talked about dying blonde, with the greenest eyes that have ever been. Sort of petite, but more like Ruby than Weiss. And she always had a bandage somewhere on her because we were always getting into sparring matches.”

Yang relaxed further into her partner’s touch, letting her eyes drift closed and imagining what it would’ve been like to know Huren and Blake as kids. To a time where none of them were as worn and broken down as they are now.


	14. Trouble in Paradise

It came without warning or pretense. Powerful enough to shake one down to their very core, forcing them to curl in on themselves. 

Huren sneezed, just barely managing to cover her mouth with her arm, shoulders curving inwards, shuddering as she did so. Her free hand clutched tighter to the cup she’d been holding. Water splashed up, jostled by her movement and found a new home on her hand and shirt. _Huren, it’s an absolute wonder how you can function as a human being on a daily basis_ , she thought with a groan. Wouldn’t Salem be amused to discover that she was so easily defeated by her own body? 

Well, if she learned anything in their past encounter, Cinder would be enraged to find out. Apparently, anything less than getting killed by Cinder or even Salem, herself, was blasphemous or something along those lines. She shook her head to clear it and righted herself in the chair. 

“You’re not going to keel over on me now, are you?” Lilly asked from where she was lounging on the couch. A quick glance told Huren she hadn’t been imagining the amusement in her tone. Her friend was peeking up over the book she’d been reading to look at Huren, mouth tilting warmly. Lilly always seemed to be smiling, the only real exception so far being the first night they got back from Cinder and her lackeys. 

Of course, they didn’t have much reason to be smiling at all that night. 

But since then, they found a sort of rhythm to fall into. Huren hadn’t left yet, at Lilly’s request. The elemental had seemed so heartbroken at the first mention of her leaving and asked her to stay just until things got to normal. Normal, of course, being relative, never seemed to really come but in small moments here and there. Like this very moment, for example. 

Lilly smiling her way as she’d made something of a fool of herself and her wanting more than anything to smile back. Wanting. 

If Huren had picked up on anything at all the past few days, it was how honest Lilly was. Even as she smiled now, the expression reached her eyes and highlighted the curiosity residing there. She always stayed true to her emotions, which made them just as versatile as the winds she controlled. Even now, with the windows closed, cool air kissed her skin as it circled the room incessantly. 

She sniffed, taking the moment to determine whether she’d sneeze again or not before deciding, “Well, I’m certainly of the belief that my fate had been sealed long ago. Perhaps the dear reaper is finally coming to collect a long-owed debt.”

That earned her a laugh that was light, easy and as warm as the summer breeze itself. Her eyes reflected the mirth she felt. For a brief moment, she thought she heard Felis in that laugh, saw her in that expression. But the thought was chased away by filthy guilt. _She wants you to be happy, to move on_ , she told herself. 

_But is it really fair to Lilly if all we think about is Felis when we look at her_?

Her inner turmoil festered as she stared, trying to smile and lose herself again in the warmth. Tried to remind herself that Lilly was _alive_ and here with her and that Felis wasn’t. 

“You’re so dramatic,” Lilly mock-complained, noting her place and neatly setting the book aside. “You’re so distracting that I can’t get anything done, I swear.” 

Of course, the same could be said of her. Thoughts of Felis aside, things could’ve been described as perfect here. Doing nothing felt perfectly fine here. In these quiet moments when it was just her and Lilly, the war didn’t feel like this looming threat. Sitting here just sipping water and reading books instead of checking on Yang and ensuring that Adam wouldn’t come back to haunt her was just too easy. 

Her brother had never been so far away from her mind. 

She swallowed, mind beginning to race as responsibility snuck in and anxiety reared its ugly head. Try as she might, there was no hiding from the mission at hand. In fact, by staying here, she was only really wasting valuable time she could be utilizing to prepare herself and train. Huren knew all of this, understood what she had to do. Not that it made it any easier. 

Soon, she promised herself over and over again, warding off her guilt and the need to return to reality. It seemed that today, her mind could take no more. Not when she just continued using Lilly by simply being here in her company. She rose, restless with energy that she didn’t have the slightest clue what to do with. 

In her peripheral, she saw Lilly tilt her head to one side, still waiting for a response. “If you’d prefer it, I could up my theatrics even more. And I’m certain that I could put together an adequate stage for my performances in the yard. I’d just need a few tools,” she commented, setting her water aside and taking the moment to stretch her back. It cracked in several places and a breath slid past her lips. Really, it wouldn’t be so hard. Creating the stage from logs or planks and using foliage to create curtains. As for her performances, well, thanks to Raven, she’d read enough Shakespeare and Sophocles that she could probably come up with a scene or two if she really put her mind to it. Whether they’d turn out even remotely adequate was a whole separate matter. Though, with any luck, they’d serve their purpose in entertaining Lilly.

And just like that, she could almost allow herself to drift into possibility and the promise of domestic tranquility. 

No. Thinking like that was dangerous. Wanting to impress Lilly and enjoying the way she seemed to clear her mind without even trying. Being here was everything she’d ever wanted, but she couldn’t allow herself to just have and enjoy it. A recurring fact nagged and worried at the back of her mind constantly. She’d been here for too long. Allowed herself to grow soft, however marginally. And that simply wasn’t acceptable. 

The life she’d established for herself in Vale had likely gone up in smoke the same time she had disappeared. Hopefully, the old man wouldn’t worry too much or be overworked in her absence. Though, he was probably used to things like this happening, what with all the strange happenings of their world, especially in a city chock-full of Huntsmen and Huntresses, training or otherwise. And then there was still Yang and the rest of team RWBY to think about. 

She’d made a promise to her sister that she fully intended on fulfilling. 

Caught up as she was in her own thoughts, she almost missing Lilly scoffing and rolling her eyes at her. “You’re so ridiculous. What, are you going to dress up in puffy clothes and recite soliloquies to me in hopes that I swoon and fall for your charm entirely?” came the teasing jab, paired with a laugh that sent heat rushing to her ears. 

Her heart thudded in her chest and she cleared her throat gently. She had to stop being so easily captivated. Lilly had gotten hurt because of her, because the enemy had been able to disclose they had some level of connection and knew that it would get to her. Deepening that level could only give way to catastrophe. Distancing herself was for the best, or that’s what she kept telling herself. 

Felis wanted her to move on. The world told her it was not time to even ponder that for an instant. All while the universe seemed to make everything complicated and unnecessary. 

“Nothing? Not even a chuckle?”

Huren blinked herself back to reality, focusing once more on Lilly who watched her, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Surely, she was mistaken by believing she saw a hint of worry in her friend’s eyes. That wouldn’t do at all. “Sorry?” she tried, hand rising and rubbing the back of her neck. It was still a bit damp from her spill earlier, just enough to create friction that had the hair there standing on end. Had she been supposed to laugh? Could she?

Lilly sighed exasperatedly, flopping back onto the couch. Yet, Huren was allegedly the dramatic one. “That was funny, you were supposed to laugh,” Lilly said pointedly, arm falling over her eyes. 

She couldn’t help herself. “Was it?” she asked, voice infused with genuine confusion. 

A wave of the elemental’s hand had the breeze in the room kicking up until a gust sent her reeling back into the armchair, leaving Huren astounded by the power of her friend’s Semblance. To be able to sweep her off her feet with so little effort? If she ever had the chance, she’d want nothing more than to discover what Lilly was really capable of. “You’re fucking impossible,” she groaned at Huren’s answer. 

Now it was her turn to tilt her head as she replied, “Well, it doesn’t seem to bother you all that much, considering how much effort you’re putting into keeping me around. Why I might even go as far to say that you secretly enjoy my company.” Fresh wind blew a warning that tickled her nose and had her sniffing sharply to avoid sneezing again. 

Lilly was moving again, righting herself and tucking her legs under herself, fixing Huren with an unreadable look. Then, she broke into a wide smile brimming with mischievous intent that Huren had to stop herself from admiring. “Careful there, Huntress,” Lilly said, pointing a finger for emphasis. “But I will get you to laugh, I swear it.”

Her mouth curled into a small smile while warmth flooded through her. That determined mindset was too much like Felis to not. The thought had the smile fading fast, but she dipped her head once in acceptance. Time away would do her good. Allow her to gather her thoughts in a quieter environment. 

She didn’t mind this cage in the slightest, but that didn’t change the fact that she had to leave. 

“Where do you keep going?”

She flinched as though she were a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. “What do you mean?” she asked, guilt mounting in her gut. “I’m hardly going anywhere in an armchair.”

Shaking her head, Lilly said, “Not physically. You just always have this sort of far-away look in your eyes. Like you’re either caught up somewhere in your head or you’ve gone to a place that you don’t want to be at.” 

_I am caught somewhere. I’m caught between wanting to like you, look at you, touch you and be the one to reassure you and running away as far and fast as I can, because I can’t. I can’t because you aren’t her and I don’t know that I was made for loving anyone else like I loved her_ , she wanted to say. The thoughts formed a weight against her tongue, demanding to be shared. Instead, she bit the inside of her cheek, saying, “I just… I enjoy being here, with you, Lilly, but I can’t just stay here.” She took a deep breath, eyes closing. “Lilly, I think I should head back to Vale.”

“Well, for starters, that doesn’t answer my question. Secondly, what and why?” She heard Lilly moving from across the room and opened her eyes to see the shock and disbelief in Lilly’s expression. Her eyes were widening and narrowing as though she didn’t know what expression to wear. 

She didn’t want to hurt Lilly or upset her. Huren would’ve been perfectly content to stay and lose herself in the ease and routine she had built with Lilly in this past week. In another world where she could believe things would be okay without her or where she didn’t take advantage of Lilly’s kindness at every opportunity. _She isn’t Felis and she won’t ever be, why can’t you just accept that_? Days like this, Huren could really go for slamming her head into a rock. 

Reality had knocked at the door and she had always been taught that it was rude to keep someone waiting. “I have to go back to my sister, my job, my life. Dropping off the face of the planet doesn’t really do much in preventing concerned parties from panicking, after all.”

Something settled in Lilly’s gaze at that, transforming gentle worry into hard steel. “The sister who kept you against your will and suppressed your Aura?”

_Just because I like this cage doesn’t make me less of a hostage here, does it_ , she thought, turning her head away. “Yes, that sister,” she sighed. “Listen, it’s all sort of complicated, but I made a promise that I intend on keeping. And while I’m in town, I could take the time to get the necessary tools to replace the window upstairs.” A subtle promise that she’d return. With any luck, it would be enough for Lilly to let her go in the first place. 

“Then you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, would you? We’ve been running low on groceries.” Lilly grew and hunted her own food for the most part, from what Huren had learned in her time here. She tried to avoid going to town unless absolutely necessary. 

She refuted, “It would be rude of me to take you so far out of your way just to run my errands.” Shaking her head, she rose to meet Lilly, who’s eyes burned determinedly. She didn’t want this to turn into an argument, but if there was anything reassuring her it was that the wind in the room hadn’t changed in the slightest. It was still gentle and calm. 

Her friend shook her head right back and crossed her arms. “Who’s to say it’s out of the way?” she challenged. Then, her expression softened considerably, brow knitting together. “Huren, I get it. You don’t want me keeping you stuck here either and it’s unfair to you. I just really don’t like the idea of you going back for the purpose of seeing someone who would basically kidnap you.”

Inside the confines of her chest, her heart sped up and heat crawled up her neck. Huren cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders back. “Look, I told you, it’s complicated, but it’s also my job,” she said. “Besides, I still have to come back, at least to finish the window.”

She could see the conflict in Lilly’s eyes. Every part of her as earnest as could be. Finally, she agreed reluctantly, “Alright, but you have to bring me back a new book.” Something else flashed in her eyes that Huren didn’t recognize before she was being engulfed in a tight embrace. 

Shock was quickly replaced with something that wasn’t exactly embarrassment at the sudden contact and Huren found herself at a loss for how to respond. So, she carefully wrapped her arms around Lilly’s back and patted her friend gently until they broke apart. 

“Thank you for everything, Lilly,” she said quietly.

Lilly smiled at her, warm but sad. This felt too much like a good-bye, even though that’s what it was. “Thank you for saving my life and staying here with me for so long,” the elemental replied just as quietly.


	15. Back to Base

Prior to making any sort of movement, she had to stop by her apartment, if only to make sure it hadn't been ransacked or broken into by Cinder and her henchmen. Huren tugged her jacket collar up as her mental checklist played itself on loop to ensure she wouldn't forget anything. 

_Apartment, job, Beacon, Ozpin, supplies_ , she told herself. While it would probably be in her best interest to find downtime to train or meditate, she couldn't afford to focus on finding any at the moment. Her current objective, to get through the day without unnecessary complications and fulfill all the promises she'd made recently, would only be manageable if she set aside as many distractions as she could. 

Her hands had been entirely steady as she unlocked her door, but one slid to Tueur as she opened it. There wasn't an odor of decay or rot, for which she found herself grateful. Moreover, upon first glance, nothing appeared to be out of place. Her mattress remained tucked against the wall, kitchen remained tidy, but not spotless, and her fridge remained empty. 

She shut the fridge and let her hand drop slowly from her weapon, slowly coming to relax. Huren made a note to herself to at least make an effort in keeping the fridge stocked from now on. It was just too jarring after spending two weeks of being Lilly's kitchen assistant. The hand that gripped Tueur had fallen to the hem of her shirt where her fingers worried thoughtfully at the fabric. 

They knew where Lilly lived, which meant that her apartment had been compromised for quite some time now. And yet, they'd decided to let it be, for now, at least. 

Fingers twisted the fabric hard and she sighed. Just to be safe, she double checked the bathroom, closet, and balcony to ensure there were no traces of scorch marks or broken glass. After finding zero indicators that Neo had been around, the tension in her shoulders relieved itself somewhat. 

With the apartment secured, she went downstairs and opened her mailbox. Huren found herself surprised with the two letters inside. Being mostly off-the-grid meant that Huren was usually free of junk mail. So, the first being a reminder to pay rent was understandable. Of course, she'd have to come up with some means of doing so before she found herself on the streets again seeing as how she was certainly late in her payment. 

The second had no sender, just her name and address in bold, spiky writing. Huren broke the seal of the envelope and opened the letter.

_Huren,_

_I really hope this letter finds you in good health, kiddo. Or as good as your circumstances may allow, anyway. Heard you've been rocking it solo for the past few months, at least. Anyway, you're smart enough to know that your mom and I, we've got our ways of keeping tabs on you. That said, with the upcoming tournament in Vale, I'll be popping In and out of town and I'll be needing a place to stay while I do so. If you don't mind earning yourself a temporary roommate, then I'll be at the bar down by the wharf roughly a couple days before the tournament begins._

_Hopefully, roommate or not, we'll be able to sit down and catch up without too much crazy kicking off. Find out from your mouth how the youngest twins of the family are getting along and all that. I figure you've probably done a lot of growing up since I last saw you. Hell, maybe a little more growing in general, if we're lucky._

_Plus, there are a few things that I haven't had the chance to talk with you about. Things that I know for a fact, my sister has neglected to bring up with you._

_And I'd just like to say how proud of you, I am, kiddo. You've grown into a fine young warrior, I wanted to say lady, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. You're independent now, made a life for yourself and everything._

_Yeah, you've come a long way from that squirt in the White Fang. And I can tell you for a fact that you've come out so much stronger from everything that happened to you. From that Adam kid going off the rails, to losing your girl._

_You shouldn't have had to go through that and I'm sorry you did, but we can't change the past. We can only pick ourselves off the ground, learn from it, and carry on smarter than before. Try not to beat yourself up too much._

_See you soon,_

_Qrow_

She regarded the document carefully, fingers tightening at the edges of the paper. Qrow was going to be here soon, if he wasn't here already. Her eyes drifted shut and she sighed before shoving both the letter and the bill into her pocket. _Find a way to not end up homeless_ , she told herself before turning away from the mailboxes. However, that would have to go towards the bottom of the list. 

As it stood, she had to take care of her job and everything else. Surely her landlord could wait another day or so. 

Vale's streets were the same as she remembered them. Which was to say, filled with people and officials bustling about their daily lives in preparation for the upcoming Vytal Festival. Working parties and construction details were especially busy, sectioning off areas to erect tents and the like. 

On the bright side, it meant that no one would look twice at her while she slipped through a sea of people. She stuffed her hands deeper into her pockets, shoulders rolling forward as she walked. She kept moving, trusting her muscle memory, while she tried to come up with a plausible reasoning for her absence. 

All too soon, she was facing the entrance to the bookshop. While Tueur's weight acted as a constant reassurance, Huren's pulse still jumped and she was forced to draw a deep breath before pushing into the building. 

The old man was behind the counter and looked up when the bell sounded. She mentally braced herself, expecting a lecture or merely the statement of dismissal. 

What she hadn't expected was for him to get up and come over to embrace her. For being so old and small, he had a solid hold. Huren just stood there for a moment, too shocked to return the gesture.

"And here I thought I'd lost my best helper," he joked, pulling back to inspect her. There was a twinkle in his eye and he smiled kindly. "I'm glad to see you doing well, but maybe a heads up next time, eh, Huntress?"

Emotions she wasn't familiar with had her bottom lip trembling. "I'm not fired?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Fired? If anything, I'm going to have you work overtime to make up for lost hours and customers," he exclaimed. "I told you once before, didn't I? You came here for quiet work and I'll happily oblige you with that."

Tears filled her eyes, making it hard to see and Huren hugged him tight. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully. "Thank you for understanding."

"You've got to take the time to understand in this world. If you don't, then we're just hungry wolves at each other's throats," he told her with a pat on the back. "Now then, were you planning on coming back to work right away, or do you still need some time?"

As much as she wanted to tuck Tueur behind the counter and lose herself to the shelves, she shook her head. "I've still some business to attend, but at the start of next week things should settle." If everything went well and there weren't any more surprises or attacks on people she cared about.

He nodded, mostly to himself, and patted her back again before pulling away. "Next week then. Take care of yourself and keep eating like you've been doing. Finally get some meat on your bones," he chuckled.

A rush of kinship for the man ran through Huren, not for the first time and she smiled back softly. With a wave, she turned tail and walked out the door.

Once on the other side, her jovial spirit diminished somewhat. After all, next up on her list was Beacon, which meant giving her sister and company several explanations and warning Ozpin about the threat that was Cinder.


	16. A Hand Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited this chapter. Not too much, just went a different direction with the resolution of Yang and Huren's latest interaction. For those who've already read the chapter and enjoyed it, I hope you like this version just as much if not more. I've not abandoned this work, but updates will be periodic at best for a while, I think. Wishing you all the best!

For the most part, students would still be in their respective classes. There would be a few exceptions here and there for those with free periods or early lunch, but overall, Beacon’s courtyards would be empty. No one would question her presence or the stiffness of her shoulders. 

Huren cast a glance upwards to the sun. It shone back at her unhelpfully, keeping its knowledge and power a secret and instead, attempting to smite her with its heat. _Just steer clear of Fox, Weiss, and Jaune_ , she told herself. 

She pressed on swiftly, shoulders back and head, while held high, on a constant swivel. After everything that had happened in the past month alone, Huren knew better than to take unnecessary risks. 

In her mind’s eye, she could see Cinder’s eyes searing into hers. They burned with unreasonable hatred and a multitude of other emotions. _And you believe that makes her safe_?” 

The taunt struck deeper than anything else. They shouldn’t be able to infiltrate Beacon. Ozpin would be able to see through any ploy that Salem could make in an instant. 

Her jaw tightened. Neo made it so easy to go anywhere. Oum only knew what their scheme was, but it could only lead to trouble for everyone she knew and cared about. 

“Focus, Huren,” she muttered under her breath. “Yang first, then we’ll talk to Ozpin.” 

Finding Yang should’ve been rather easy. However, after Huren checked the gym, cafeteria, class rooms and, and dorms and came up empty, she grew somewhat anxious. 

With her fingers worrying at the fabric of her shirt, she slid into the library to collect her thoughts. The librarian fixed her with an odd look, but otherwise didn’t seem bothered by her presence. 

Moving to the back of the library, she found the fairy tale section. Most of the stories weren’t particularly interesting or eye-catching. But there was one that piqued her interest. _A Man With Two Souls_. The spine of the book looked clean and when she pulled it out, she noticed the pages were nearly immaculate. Had anyone even checked this book out? 

Thumbing it open, she peered at the first page. It was an appreciation page, thanking the author’s various inspirations. _To my beloved, without whom, I never would’ve been the man I am today. To my children, it seems as though I hadn’t seen you in lifetimes, but there exists not a day without you all on my mind_. 

Flipping the page, she read the prologue quickly. Then again when she realized that it wasn’t just background. Her eyes took in each sentence before everything started to slip away and the story became her reality. 

A voice broke her of her trance. “Huren?”

She blinked once, stiffening at the sound. Closing the book, she turned to the sound to meet lilac that matched her own. Yang had a book tucked under her arm, her eyes wide with surprise and disbelief. 

Relief flooded through Huren at the sight of her sister and an uneasy smile spread across her face. “Yang,” she breathed. Yang was safe. Cinder hadn’t touched her and Huren would make sure she never got that chance. 

Not even a moment passed before Yang had dropped the book and was pulling Huren into a bone-crushing embrace. Her feet had left the ground and breathing was somewhat of an issue, but it was all ignorable. They remained like that until Yang had the realization that Huren did need to breathe and loosened her grip, pulling back so they were face-to-face. Surely she was imagining the cloudiness in Yang’s eyes. 

“You came back,” her sister whispered. 

Clearing her throat softly, she tried to pat at the brawler’s back awkwardly before saying, “I told you I would, didn’t I?” 

Yang finally relinquished the hold she had, albeit somewhat hesitantly. Using the moment to dust herself off, Huren added, “Right then, I do believe that I left some questions unanswered during our last visit.”

“Forget about all that for just one god-damned minute,” Yang exclaimed, voice climbing. Huren winced at the volume and gestured to the room, a reminder of where they were. Her sister’s eyes were shining with a gloss of tears that had yet to fall. The brawler shook her head in disbelief and grabbed her by the wrist before leading her away.

She resisted slightly, to pick up the book that had been so easily forgotten before allowing herself to be led away. 

Yang took them all the way back to team RWBY’s dorm and locked the door as soon as it closed. “Do you have any idea how worried we all were?”

Worried? What reason did they have to be worried? "Why?" she asked, stepping back. "I told you I was coming back, didn't I?"

She watched as a muscle flexed in her sister's jaw and the first tear broke free. Guilt, borne from her ignorance, built inside of her. Yang's eyes seemed to be teetering between lilac and deep red as her emotions flashed by. 

"You really don't get it, do you?" 

Huren shook her head to confirm Yang's comment. "You and Blake both agreed to let me go. And I told you that I would come back to answer your questions," she stated carefully, not wanting to further upset the blonde. 

Unfortunately, that only seemed to exasperate the brawler, who ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes settled on red, giving her a striking resemblance to Raven. "Huren, we didn't know what you were going into, how long it would take or anything. You asked us to blindly trust you on this mission you were so dead-set on doing, right after you'd been severely injured.

"Not to mention, your Aura wasn't active and you were working entirely solo! How could you expect us not to worry?" 

Before she could stop herself, Huren said, "Well, if you hadn't been drugging me, my Aura would've been active and I would've been completely healed."

"You almost destroyed a hospital! We didn't have a choice!"

The demons in her mind began creeping in, whispering to her softly. That had been her fault entirely. Oum only knew what would've happened if RWBY hadn't been there to stop her. " _You know exactly what would've happened_ ," Adam's voice crooned at her. " _You would've killed them all and destroyed the town, then you would've killed everyone on the docks and whoever else crossed your path_."

" _You can't get rid of me, Huren. We're the same, after all_." 

She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there. She'd been a fool to think that she could be rid of him. 

Trying to focus on Yang was a mistake. Huren realized it as soon as she saw the tears rolling down her sister's cheeks. "Yang, I came back," she tried reiterating. That was what was important, right? She'd kept her word and followed orders. The only ones that had gotten hurt were the ones who deserved it. 

_Blood on her hands. Cinder's blood, and Neo's. Bones snapping under her hands. A dark satisfaction urging her to keep going, to tear them apart until there wasn't anything left_. She'd been so close to snapping and losing control. The darkness that her Aura had become still haunted her, made her stomach churn. 

"Yes," Yang said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You came back and I get that you're trying to be reasonable, but holy _shit_ , how do you not understand that when someone you care about is potentially in danger, it is natural to worry about them?"

Huren tilted her head, mind working over Yang's words. There was logic in what she was saying, sure, but to rationalize it would mean that Yang cared about her. That was dangerous and shouldn't happen. "I don't understand. That would mean that you," she trailed off, biting the inside of her cheek. She shook her head and said, "Yang, you can't care about me."

"Why not?" her sister asked indignantly, scarlet eyes flashing as she did. 

How could she explain in a way that Yang would get it? Her hand picked at the hem of her shirt. "Because if you do, then you might end up getting hurt because of me. There's a war going on, Yang, and I don't know enough about it to say all that much.

"But I do know that it's my job to make sure that you're safe. The best way to do that is to keep you out of harm's way and in this case, that means that you can't get close to me. That's why we can't just be a family and why I can't stick around like you want to."

Now that they were free from the confines of the library, Yang's voice swelled into a shout. "What do you mean we're at war? With who? And why, if there's someone clearly after you, can you not just ask for our help? It's more dangerous for you to handle things alone than with help. We're Huntresses-in-Training, it's not like we're exactly helpless."

She could feel Yang's irritation with her and lowered her head. The stray thought that she should've changed when she went back to the apartment ran through her head. Not that it made too much of a difference. Taking a deep breath, she tried to phrase what needed to be said in her mind. _You don't need to worry about me, I'm just being consistently propositioned by an evil queen and her cronies. Do I think I can beat them all? No clue, but I'll be fine with dying trying_. 

"You'd have to talk to Ozpin about it. And I can handle the people that are after me, so long as they don't have any extra leverage," she said instead. 

Her sister bristled at being referred to as leverage, which was intentional. "That doesn't matter. Whether you want to be or not, you're family, which means you get concern and people who care about you."

Yang wasn't going to budge on this point. Huren felt her jaw set and she crossed her arms. Was stubbornness a Branwen trait? It certainly seemed to be. "Then that's your mistake," she said harshly. "Now, I told you I'd come back and I did. I promised you answers, so ask away." 

"Why are you so afraid of letting people in? Huren, what happened to you?" 

She flinched. Answering that meant living through hell again. Why couldn't Yang just accept things the way they were? Anger surged forth and so did that dark Aura. Power, tainted, filled her and threatened to take over. 

Drawing a deep breath, she tried getting a handle on her emotions. Her eyes peered down to see her hands weren't glowing. That was a good sign. "Yang, I've told you about the monster I really am. I've told all of you and I don't think you really understand.

"I have killed people and I've hurt people. Yang, I was a part of the White Fang, I've done things on their behalf. There's innocent blood on my hands that I can never wash away along with the blood of my family and loved ones. I'm going to lose myself, just like my brother did, I can feel it. And I swore that I wouldn't lose you too. Please, just let me do my job, let me save who I can."

Scarlet bled away from Yang's eyes. Her twin's voice softened considerably as she said, "You don't think you deserve to be saved." 

Huren didn't answer. 

A hand reached out to her slowly and she looked up to her sister. Yang didn't move more, eyes asking for permission. When her head dropped, Yang moved in, wrapping her arms around Huren carefully. "You're not a monster, Huren. Monsters don't care and they don't regret the things that they do," Yang promised her. 

Adam had regretted it, in the beginning, at least. He had just been a boy in pain, looking for anything to ease it. She had done her best to help him and she'd failed. Since she failed to help him, he ended up enwreathed in his bitter rage and eventually stopped regretting everything. 

" _So, you admit that you failed me_ ," Adam's voice cut in. Bile climbed up her body, leaving a foul taste in the back of her throat. She pushed away, if only to get a breath. Her hands trembled and clutched at the fabric of Yang's uniform.

"That's only what they'll have you believe. Fake it 'till you make it applies to more things than confidence," she replied darkly, looking away and forcing her hands back to her side. The room was messier than usual, if only by virtue of Blake's things being scattered about alongside Yang and Ruby's usual tornado. Odd. 

"What do you believe?" Yang asked her, tone soft, but thick with emotion. Huren couldn't meet her gaze, knowing she'd crack if she did. 

Focusing on the corner of a book that peeked out from under Blake's pillow, she said, "I believe in my purpose and…" She hesitated, knowing she could've just left it there. Her eyes closed and her shoulders slumped. "I believe in you, Yang. I believe that you can do so many great things in your life and that if you waste your time with me, you won't accomplish any of that." Tears slid past her eyes. She hated them. 

Arms encircled her, pulling her into another gentle embrace. Yang's thumb rubbed rhythmically against her skin and her voice stayed soft. "I believe in you too, Huren. I believe that you're strong and that you don't have to be alone. You've been hurt, but you can still be happy. You deserve the chance to be happy as much as anyone else."

She wouldn't win this argument, she knew that. Huren was exhausted from trying so hard, from fighting so long, and from feeling every single emotion she'd ever had access to. Moreover, she was tired of being alone with no one but the manifestations of her mind. Felis had wanted her to have something, any shred of happiness she could find. She wanted Huren to find her again and tell her the greatest story there ever was. 

Yang's words had struck a chord deep within her. _You don't have to be alone_. 

Maybe, just maybe, that's where Adam went wrong. He couldn't accept the fact that he didn't have to handle it all alone. And he didn't have someone like Yang to help him through, only her. 

A weak attempt of a smile pulled at her lips even though Yang couldn't see it. "If I agree, you have to promise not to drug me anymore," she said as lightly as she could. All around her, she could feel the pressures of her mind. Within, she noted the hollowness of her stomach, as well as the way the weight on her shoulders seemed to lighten ever so slightly. 

"Don't come back to us bloody and rampaging, then we'll talk," Yang jabbed back, pulling away and inspecting her closely. "Last question for today: are you okay?"

"No, but I'm a little better," she answered honestly. And she was.


	17. Crossing Items Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the short chapter this time. Hopefully I'll be able to make it up to you guys with the following chapters.

Yang had let her go after that without a word. Her twin merely smiled softly and wiped away the tears that were still leaking from her eyes. As soon as she regained her composure, she snuck away. 

While a great part of her wanted to stay and talk with Yang and the rest of team RWBY, there were more pressing matters at hand. Namely, finishing her checklist and preparing herself for company. 

She drew in a shaky breath, rolling her shoulders back in an attempt to appear strong. The hard parts were already out of the way, she rationalized as she walked through campus. Ozpin's office was at the top of the building. Likely so he could look over his campus while sipping coffee. That seemed like a very headmaster thing to do. 

Her mind was quiet again, something she was grateful for. It stayed that way as she took the elevator and until she opened the door leading into Ozpin's office. 

Professor Ozpin was sitting behind his desk, a pensive expression on his face. A few pencils were scattered to one side as though they'd been haphazardly swept away. And suddenly, Huren felt as though her throat were closing in on itself.

_This isn't an illusion, it really is Ozpin_ , she told herself. Though it didn't stop her hands from gripping at the hem of her shirt. 

"Professor?" she called out, making her presence known. 

He looked up at that, eyes sharpening as he focused on her. The mild frown he wore gave way to a polite smile and he said, "What may I do for you today, Miss Branwen?" This wasn't the same voice that Em had used during her illusion. His voice was gentle, yet firm. The voice of someone patient and meant to encourage. 

"It's about Salem," she managed, voice clipping enough that she wanted to flinch away from it. _Get it together, Huren_. 

Something dark flitted over Ozpin's expression, but it was gone as soon as it came. However, the smile became slightly strained at the edges. "Close the door, please. Feel free to take a seat afterwards."

Doing as she was told gave Huren something else to focus on, which she was grateful for. By the time she sat down, her grip lessened on her shirt. 

"What about Salem is it that you'd wish to discuss?" 

She looked up, understanding that weakness here would be unacceptable. Meeting his eyes, she reported, "Some of Salem's underlings have been propositioning me to join their cause. And I have reason to believe that they'll make an attempt to infiltrate Beacon Academy in some way."

Ozpin's hands folded into a triangular stand for him to rest his chin on. "I see," he mused. "What would you recommend then?"

Before she had the chance to open her mouth, he raised a single finger. "And do be aware that we cannot close Beacon from the outside world, especially not now. With the upcoming Vytal Festival, to close our gates would only serve to make a mockery of the other Kingdoms. And I don't think I need to tell you how politically poor a decision that would be."

Her mouth twisted into a frown. That would've been the easiest solution to keep Yang safe. "Is there a way you could implement new safety measures throughout Beacon without raising people's attention?"

"Such as?"

Irritation prickled at her skin. How was she supposed to come up with these answers? She was just a soldier, not a commander. Still, if these were orders then she'd have to come through on them. "What about the student IDs? Since there will be exchange students for the Vytal Festival, you can issue them temporary IDs. At that point, you can increase security around the gates so that no one without an ID can get in. And you can guise it by not wanting the media to get hold of any training or sparring so as not to ruin it for the masses?"

The idea seemed logical enough, if simple. 

That polite smile of his returned as he thought on the suggestion. While the silence stretched out, she quelled the urge to move. Even as her leg twitched with the desire to bounce in place and her hands gripped the hem of her shirt with varying degrees of tightness. 

"What would you have us do about an insider threat?" he asked her after an age. 

Static buzzed lowly in the back of her head. "An insider threat, sir?"

His hands folded and settled properly on his desk and if there was a significance to the gesture, it was lost on Huren. Yet, his voice didn't waver, "Yes, what if our enemy manages to infiltrate the student body itself? How would we be able to distinguish friend from foe?"

The static grew in intensity. Her knuckles turned bone white for just a moment too long. How did they combat something like that without raising attention? "I don't have a solution for that, sir," she said honestly, guilt creeping in. 

He hummed. "No, I wouldn't expect you to have a perfect solution, but it's your ideas I'm after, Miss Branwen. If you were the insider threat, you would stop at nothing to achieve your goal, correct?"

She nodded and waited for him to continue. 

"Then, you'd understand our enemies would likely behave the same. Think over the types of obstacles that would make your infiltration more difficult, how you can overcome them. Next, think of situations that may leave you at a loss for what to do.

"There's no perfect security, Miss Branwen. So long as you keep your resolve, you'd always find a way in. But rest assured, we're doing all we can to make that as difficult as possible. I'll take your student ID idea into account moving forward."

_Keep your resolve_.

She nodded again, mostly to herself this time. Her heartbeat was slowing minutely and she could almost ignore the blood roaring in her ears. 

"Will there be anything else today, Miss Branwen?" he asked her gently. Ozpin's golden eyes regarded her, but not cruelly. His words suggested he'd be willing to listen to whatever she said and his demeanor suggested that this was a safe space for her. He was a teacher and he was real.

Not whatever Em and Cinder had made him. 

With a shake of her head, she rose. "Thank you for your time, Professor," she said, dipping her head gratefully.

"Anything for one of my students," he replied with what could've been a hint of amusement. "And Huren, if you get the chance to meet with your uncle before he stops by Beacon, do give him my regards."

With that, she was free to leave. An odd feeling.

Once she stepped out of Beacon's grounds, relief swept over her. Ozpin had listened to her. 

Qrow was going to be in Vale soon as well. And Huren could talk to her uncle and he would understand everything. Things were going as smoothly as they could. The thought carried her all the way back to her apartment.

Menial work kept her occupied until the sun had set. Getting groceries, handling her rent, making sure there would be enough liquor for an alcoholic and a half. She even went by a few shops to gather glass and some lumber for repairs to Lilly's home. 

As she lay on her mattress, clutching tightly to her uncle's letter, she pondered on what Ozpin told her. She thought of how easy it was to get into Beacon without people noticing, especially at the beginning of term when there were freshmen aplenty. Allowed herself to wonder what it would be like if Beacon had restricted access and only those with student IDs could get in. 

To see her sister, she'd have to get creative. She'd likely circle the parameter for any weak points, go in at night and take refuge in the library. Cameras could be disabled and she was a decent enough shot that they wouldn't be able to see her face before it was taken out. Guards would be another matter.

However, people could be bargained with or silenced. She turned over with a grimace. It seemed that after spending so long with Lilly, she wasn't as accustomed to the lumpy mattress as she'd originally thought. 

Still, it beat sleeping in a tree.


	18. Yang: Reprioritize

After Huren left the room, Yang had been oddly… calm. There hadn't been any desire to trash the room in some sort of cathartic release. Nor had she wanted to scream and bury her face in a pillow out of frustration. 

Her twin sister wasn’t okay, per se, but she was alive. More than that, she came back to Yang and they had made some sort of progress. They were baby steps, but that was fine. Yang took a seat on Blake's bed, thinking of Huren. Her sister had been so genuinely distressed that it was concerning and she ran a hand through her hair. 

Huren called herself a monster with such conviction that Yang had almost wanted to believe her. If not for Ruby's words, she might've. 

Just as she flopped back, the door opened for the rest of her team to spill into the room. Blake made a beeline for their bunks, hands grabbing at her things to tuck them away. 

Arching an eyebrow at her girlfriend's antics, Yang rolled onto her side. Unfortunately for her, Blake seemed a little more than preoccupied. She had been for days. 

Well, all of them had to be fair. There was a lot going on with the Dust robberies, Torchwick, and even the White Fang. Paired with Huren's disappearance, schoolwork and the upcoming dance and Vytal Festival, things weren't exactly relaxing.

"Yang," Weiss called sharply, drawing her attention. 

Not one to waste an eyebrow arch, she kept it as an indicator that she was listening to the Ice Queen. "Yes, Weiss?" she asked, ignoring the icy tone of her teammate. Weiss loved her, loved all of them in her own way. 

The heiress set her weapon down beside the opposite bunks and turned to her with crossed arms. "We still have to finish working on the décor for the upcoming dance and that means you need to help move the speakers."

Yang smirked playfully and leaned back on her hands. "Careful there Weiss Cream, I might start to think you're using me for more than my muscles," she replied, lifting one arm to flex it thoughtfully. Her gaze flitted briefly to Blake who'd taken a seat on the bunk, already nose deep in her journal.

Amusingly enough, Weiss' cheeks tinted pink and her frown deepened. "Brute," she scoffed. "Remember, we still need to look over the lights and coordinate with the orchestra director for songs and setting up their equipment."

"Weren't we going to hire a DJ?"

At that, Ruby perked up. Her silver eyes glimmered with excitement and she leaned in close to her partner. "There's gonna be a DJ? Weiss, this is gonna be the best dance ever!"

Did Yang imagine the way Weiss' blush spread to her ears? No, she didn't think so. She certainly didn't imagine her friend clearing her throat delicately before saying, "Well, it was certainly one of the topics we've been undecided on."

She grinned when Ruby beamed at her partner. "I think it would be a fantastic idea to have one. Then, we could have a nice mix of music going to suit everyone's tastes!" Maybe her little sister should've joined the committee with her. 

"That's what I've been saying," she added, falling back and looking to the side. "What do you think Blake? You down to join the DJ for Beacon squad?"

Her girlfriend seemed to jolt at the sound of her name and a frown formed on her lips. Something in her eyes gave the impression that she was still absent from the conversation, even though she set the journal back on the nightstand. There was an uncharacteristic dullness to those eyes. "I don't see much of a point in asking my opinion," she said. The coolness in her voice sent a shiver down Yang's spine and not necessarily in the good way. 

Across the room, Weiss and Ruby sat on Weiss' bunk. Concern that Yang had been neglecting in favor of worrying about Huren was reflected in their expressions. She caught the eyes of her teammates and Ruby began drumming against her knees. This could go up in flames at least seven different ways, but her sister smoothed her skirt out. A motion that Yang had previously associated with Weiss, one the white-themed girl did when making a proposal of some sort. 

Their fearless leader hesitantly said, "Well, we were thinking that you should go." The hammer fell. 

"You what?" Blake asked, an unusual amount of venom seeping into her tone. Yang bit the inside of her cheek. It had been bad enough that she hadn't been the first or only one to ask Blake to the dance. Monkey boy had seen to that. But now wasn't the time.

Ruby moved her hands to brace against the bed. "We want you to go to the dance," she repeated firmly. 

The faunus girl seemed to twitch with annoyance and Yang took in the dark circles beneath her golden eyes. She'd been so busy with Huren and the dance, but how could she have been so blind to the way Blake was running herself into the dirt? Guilt seeped in, as well as a strong desire to rectify her shortcomings. She should've been there for Blake, just like the ninja was there for her when Huren was still missing. 

And Blake still didn't know that Huren was back. Right. Just one more thing. 

"That's ridiculous!" Blake snapped, gripping her arm protectively. 

Biting her lip, she decided to say, "Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is messing with your head." _Not to mention the fact that you haven't been taking proper care of yourself_ , she wanted to add. Thankfully, she bit her tongue and withheld the words. Blake was in a fragile way right now, a very familiar type of fragile that made Yang's heart ache. 

"You can't sleep, you hardly eat, and to be honest, your grades have been suffering," Weiss interjected, causing Yang to wince internally. 

_Dammit Ice Queen_ , she groaned mentally. 

The words set something off in Blake, who gestured widely with her hands as she exclaimed, "You think I care about grades? People's lives are at stake!"

Yang placed a gentle hand over her girlfriend's, lowering it. For the first time, Blake looked directly at Yang. There was endless frustration in her eyes that Yang had been blind to for too long. "We know, and we're all still trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to," she told her, keeping her voice gentle. She tried to convey what she couldn't with words through her eyes. _Blake, you don't have to go through this alone either. I'm here for you, and I'm sorry that I haven't been lately_. And maybe a smaller part of her thought, _I love you_. But she didn't dare let those thoughts cloud her judgement. 

For just a brief moment, Blake's eyes softened as they looked into hers. Ruby took the opportunity to pipe up, "Thanks to you and Sun, we know they're operating somewhere outside of Southeast Vale."

"And the Schnee company record singled out Vale as the primary target for Dust robberies over the last few months," Weiss pointed out. Yang heard the implications in her tone and wondered if Blake could hear it too. Together, they knew and figured this all out. Blake would need help in going forward which is what they were for. 

Though, it seemed the Ice Queen was glossing over an important detail. "Don't forget about their missing military tech too," she stated, accepting the glare sent her way. 

Blake had turned away from her while the other two spoke and it bothered her to some small extent. More when Blake persisted, "But there's still unanswered questions." Her partner had resumed her defensive posture, closing herself off. This wasn't going well.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open," Ruby pointed out firmly. Yang winced internally at how familiar the phrase was to her ears. Not the time.

She shifted, drawing Blake's attention back to her. "All we're asking is that you take it easy for one day," she said, emphasizing with a single finger and letting concern into her voice. She wouldn't ask Blake to stop her search when it meant so much to her, but this wasn't healthy. She just hoped that her girlfriend could recognize that. 

"It will be fun. Yang and I will make sure of it," Weiss promised, injecting enthusiasm into her own voice. Responsibilities began creeping back into Yang's head. There was no way she'd allow Weiss to have an orchestra if she couldn't have her fog machines. Would Huren want to attend the dance? 

She shook the thought from her mind and grinned, bouncing in place on the bed. "Yeah, we're planning the whole event!"

"Excuse me?" Blake asked.

_Whoops, guess I forgot to mention team CFVY wasn't around to help out anymore_ , Yang thought guiltily. She knew Blake would take it to heart and start worrying about her in addition to her research. They'd have to talk about Huren being back. If nothing else, it would ease Blake's mind in relation to Yang's wellbeing. 

"Team CFVY's away mission lasted longer than expected," Weiss supplied helpfully. 

"So, Weiss and I were asked to pick up where they left off. And now we can make sure you have the perfect night," she elaborated. _I know I told you I was just helping out with decisions and set up, but I forgot to tell you and please don't be more upset_.

Getting Blake to agree that having something else to focus on was something she genuinely needed had been something of an ordeal in, and of, itself. 

Weiss smiled pleasantly as she said, "And once it's all over, we'll return to our search, rested and ready."

Her little sister looked proud of her partner, though her words still seemed a bit hesitant as she asked, "So, what do you think?"

"I think this is a colossal waste of time," Blake retorted before getting up. She stopped at the door to say, "I'll be in the library." And just like that, she was gone. 

Yang's heart broke a little inside her chest. While she loved Blake's stubbornness and determination, she hated watching her partner destroying herself in search of answers that were just out of reach. It was just for one night. Nothing bad could come of one night of fun, could it?

A sigh escaped her. "Great," she grumbled, looking down. 

"She can't keep going like this," Weiss pointed out and Yang felt like agreeing. Though she was saved from needing to by the knock at the door. 

Jaune had decided that a grand gesture would be the best way to woo the Ice Queen. However, he failed to realize that despite the warm strumming of his guitar, Weiss' frozen heart wasn't so easily thawed. _That was sort of poetic, Xiao Long_. Hanging around dark, mysterious, edgy teenagers like Blake and Huren must've been rubbing off on her more than she initially realized. She covered her thoughts with a quick quip that she ended up saying aloud. 

Not that it did much to lift the mood, if anything, Ruby seemed more disheartened. A mood that persisted for the remainder of the evening and well into the next day. So much so that she couldn't even find it in her to appease Weiss' craziness and super human ability to make the same color seem like two. 

Dropping the giant speaker near the table, she sidled up to her sister's table. "Have you picked out a dress yet?" she asked while dusting herself off slightly. Big sister mode called for her to boost Ruby's mood in any way that she could. Maybe they could go dress shopping together if she hadn't quite had the time. 

Her sister barely moved, head turning on her arm so Yang could hear her say, "What's the point? Who cares about the dance if Blake isn't going?" 

Hearing her partner's name brought a burning sensation to her chest. She'd yet to talk to Blake about Huren after their last conversation as a team. Blake came back from the library long after they'd gone to sleep and left before they woke up. The only indication of her being home was the messed up sheets of her bunk. 

Donning what she hoped was a confident smirk, she reassured her sister, "Oh, don't worry. She's going." She wouldn't stand by and let them miss an opportunity like this. Everything would go perfectly and Blake would be there. 

Of course, perfection would also come at the cost of wrangling Weiss and preventing her from making the whole event a gala. Her gaze drifted to where the heiress was setting up tables, placing some delicate, flowery thing on each one. 

"Weiss! I thought we agreed! No doilies!" Her hands curled into fists. This was a school dance, not a snobby ball. On top of that, Yang knew at least three people who would attempt to eat the damned things. 

In a flash that could've been Weiss abusing her glyphs, she was over and shoving a finger in Yang's face. "If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!" she refuted crisply. 

She dare bring the fog machines into this? Yang's mouth dropped open in disbelief, but before she could launch into a full-scale argument, the doors opened.

Monkey boy and the cool kid strolled in. They seemed intrigued, going as far as to ask, "Your dance is going to have fog machines?"

Nigh instantaneously, Weiss' attention snapped to Neptune and she turned away, hands resting neatly before her. "We were thinking about it," she replied, much to Yang's triumph. Though it seemed like Ruby's mood was only dampening, if that were even possible. 

So, with the victory of protecting her fog machines in hand, Yang prepared herself for how she'd convince her girlfriend that this wasn't a complete waste of time. And she thought she just might have the purr-fect plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: The next chapter is already drawn up and just needs some mild tweaking before I can get it out to you guys. In other news, yes I ended this chapter on a cat pun. No, I do not regret it, nor do I believe I will live long enough to.


	19. Blake: Slow Down

It was all because of that damned red dot. A childish summons that she should've just ignored, but her teeth grit together. When paired with the way the words on the screen all bled together into unintelligible mush, it became a more than perfect distraction for her tired mind. However, knowing this did nothing to soothe the irritation that accompanied its existence. 

She tried to ignore it, glaring at the screen before her in her efforts. Unfortunately, its persistence was not to be trifled with and soon she was stalking after it. Meanwhile, the cursed laser had no qualms in defying the laws of physics by turning several corners and shelves. Blake finally drew close enough to catch sight of the faint beam coming from its source as well as a pair of old brown boots. Her gaze travelled upwards, over shapely legs and a familiar outfit before finally settling on lilac. 

Words built up in her throat, but were caught there when she met her girlfriend's gaze. While she was able to spot some amusement glittering there, it was decidedly overwhelmed by the deep concern she found. Her caustic remark died on her tongue as Yang practically sang, "Hello!" The sound was soothing, but Blake was too caught up to process the fact.

If she hadn't been, then maybe she'd have chewed Yang out, or at least explained how the laser pointer thing was technically racist. Especially since the blonde was fully aware of her heritage. Taking a breath, she finally began to say, "What are you-?" 

Near immediately, she was cut off as her partner gripped her wrist firmly. Yang's playful lilt from before died away and an uncharacteristic seriousness took its place as she said, "We need to talk."

With that, the brawler whisked the both of them away, despite Blake's many protests and weak attempts at a struggle. They eventually ceased when the librarian looked up crossly from her book to shush the both of them, eliciting an apologetic grin from Yang. 

Heat flooded her cheeks and she gave up, allowing herself to be led down the winding halls of Beacon. After many turns and a near collision with a second-year, Yang pulled them into an empty lecture hall and finally released her. The warmth that Blake associated so strongly with her presence seemed to dull slightly as she did so. 

As caught up as she was in her own head, Blake didn't notice that Yang had continued moving until she was tucking her legs in a crisscrossed position on the teacher's desk. In a way it was reminiscent of a story time for children, which brought Blake's mind back to their purpose for being here. _We need to talk_.

Crossing her arms, she said, "Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well just save your breath." Perhaps if she got that out of the way early Yang would understand that she couldn't be deterred from this. She was the only one who could do this. Blake had the insight, the experience that came with being a part of the White Fang. She could stop them, she had to. 

Mentally, she prepared to unleash a whole rant on how she didn't have the time to take a break and how, even now, they were wasting precious minutes and accomplishing absolutely nothing.

"I don't want you to stop. I want you to slow down," Yang replied simply. The girl regarded Blake kindle and with such obvious affection that it did funny things to Blake's heartrate. Her words settled in Blake's ears, but not quite right. 

She couldn't let anything stop her from getting the answers she sought. Working as she had been may well be the difference between Yang and her friends' safety or harm. "We don't have the luxury to slow down," she replied, punctuating her words clearly, but trying to keep her voice as even as possible. 

Her girlfriend regarded her in an unnervingly calm manner as she began to pace the length of the floor. Not a single time did Yang's eyes move away from her figure. "It's not a luxury, it's a necessity," Yang explained and it sounded oddly like she was reciting something. 

Of course, that did nothing to change the indignation rising in her stomach. It was tempered by a stray thought. _Huren was still gone, she could still be in danger and Yang is focusing on you instead of her sister. You're doing a bad job of maintaining appearances, Blake_. Guilt curled in her gut, but she couldn't just stop everything. She was close to something, she knew it. 

Yang just needed to understand the severity of the situation. "The necessity is stopping Torchwick," she snapped, fists clenching. Him and Adam, as well as the rest of the White Fang. 

In spite of her rise in tone, Yang didn't even flinch. For her part, her gaze seemed to soften impossibly further and she promised, "And we're going to." A patient sort of smile spread across her features and she patted part of the desk next to her before continuing, "But first, you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." And while those words could've been misconstrued as an order, Blake couldn't hear one. 

Still, she took a seat on the edge of the desk, faced her partner and relented, "Fine." Thoughts of Huren and the way she'd been neglecting her girlfriend crept in from the corners of her mind. She drew in a shaky breath, she could let the brawler say what she needed to say at the very least. Then, Blake could find a way to show Yang that nothing was going to change her mind so she could return to her research. They could fix things as soon as this was done, she told herself in hopes to appease the gnawing guilt. 

The blonde brawler seemed pleased by this, though her smile was still patient and calm. Her gaze flicked away briefly down to her hands as she fiddled with them while she spoke.

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was like… Super- Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters." A fond expression snuck onto Yang's features as she thought of the woman. Clearly, Yang held the woman in a high regard, but there was a sorrow laced in her voice that couldn't be ignored. Blake wanted to reach out to hold her hand, equally powerful were the questions that built upon her tongue, but resisted the urges in favor of listening as her partner asked of her. "And then… one day she left for a mission and never came back."

This story began with her and Ruby, with no trace of Huren whatsoever. _This little girl, no more than five, was told she secretly had a twin sister she'd never met in her life_. Confusion bubbled under her skin, and Yang gave her a look of understanding that silently asked her to wait. 

"It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but… I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of… shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first… was my mom." Her mom and Huren's, the same woman who abused a child in an attempt to force them into the mold of a soldier. Something cold cut at her from within at the thought.

She almost missed Yang's next words, caught up as she was in her own head. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since," she said, finishing quietly. There were a couple holes in the story. Perhaps Yang's father thought it painful enough that the mother had left and couldn't admit that she took Huren with her. Regardless of whether he had or not, Yang had purposely made no mention of her sister. 

Still, it begged the question. "Why did she leave you?"

Yang sighed and turned to the chalkboard in the room. "That question… why?" she mused, pushing off the desk to move over to the board. She picked up a piece of chalk and pressed it to her new canvas. I didn't know an answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her." Yang used the chalk to begin drawing something. Whether it was to serve as some sort of means of grounding the blonde or just to keep her mind busy was unknown to Blake. 

“Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother,” Yang explained, holding the chalk so tightly that Blake could hear the item creaking its complaint. “I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must’ve walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises. I was totally exhausted, but I wasn’t gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn’t care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those _burning_ red eyes…”

Blake could see the way Yang’s hands trembled as she spoke, the memory taking more of a toll than she must’ve expected it to. Her partner’s mouth turned downward as she drew and she continued, “There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time.” Her hand stopped, the design complete. It was some kind of symbol: an eye with a gear in place of the iris and pupil. 

“My stubbornness should’ve gotten us killed that night,” Yang finished, still calm but almost painfully present.

Unsure of what to say, Blake took a moment to gather her thoughts. Pushing off the desk, she moved to be closer to Yang, wanting to offer some form of comfort. Her partner’s eyes were cloudy with a flurry of emotions that would summon a Grimm if they weren’t in school. The moral of the story had been clear enough: chase answers too far and you’ll get in over your head. But Yang had only been a little girl, young and confused. The possibility that she hadn’t even unlocked her Semblance yet was strong. She bit the inside of her cheek before saying, “Yang… I’m sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you’re trying to tell me, but this is different. I’m not a child, and this isn’t just a search for answers! I can’t just-!”

Somewhere along the way, she must’ve crossed a line as Yang’s calm demeanour vanished. Nothing terribly obvious, she didn’t turn to face Blake again, but her fists clenched and her voice rose for just a moment. “I _told_ you: I’m not telling you to stop! I haven’t! To this day, I _still_ want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We’re going to find the answers we’re looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?”

Everything that went unsaid reached Blake, as well as a strike of how unfair this was. Yang spoke of her search when she had the key to her answers. Though, that key was still out of reach. Fresh guilt mounted in Blake and she bit down hard on her cheek, trying to let her frustration overtake it. It worked enough that she let her voice climb in volume. “You don’t understand! I’m the only one who can do this!” If anyone could comprehend why Adam decided to side with and work for some scummy human criminals, it had to be her. 

She had to believe that. 

“No, _you_ don’t understand!” Yang finally turned back to her and her eyes were a blazing red, despite her not taking any hits. The tips of her hair were burning and she could hear the crackle of it through the fabric of her bow. In a way, it was horribly jarring and brought Blake’s mind right back to Huren. Huren, who Yang had been in the process of seeking answers from before she left on an undisclosed mission and hadn’t been heard from since. 

While Yang may have gone on early morning runs when she couldn’t sleep, she always took the time to unwind at the end of the day. Whether that meant playing video games with Ruby or bickering with Weiss. In different circumstances, she’d probably curl up and cuddle with Blake as she read one of her books. 

“If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?”

She was too far to back down now. “I’d fight him,” she retorted, hands clenched into fists, holding on to the dissipating anger. She puffed out her chest in indignation.

That answer didn’t seem to satisfy Yang, whose hands curled into fists as well. The frown briefly grew into an expression of pure frustration and exasperation that Blake understood all too well. Then, Yang did something she hadn’t expected. “You’d lose,” the brawler growled while shoving her back.

The action was more shocking and disorienting than anything, making Blake’s head spin as she staggered back towards the desk. Her blood boiled and she turned back, shoving a hand against her partner’s shoulder. Tired as she was though, Yang didn’t budge in the slightest. Blake didn’t want to be as bothered by it as she was, attempting to save face by stating, “I can stop him!”

“You can’t even stop me,” Yang retorted, punctuating the words with a slightly harder shove that had her bracing against the desk to steady herself. The wood dug into her skin and her body was just so damn heavy. Trembling ever so slightly, she pushed off again, bracing herself and trying to steady herself before raising her gaze back up to meet her partner’s. 

It seemed as though the distance was too much for Yang, who had moved forward until she crushed Blake in a warm embrace. A subtle sniffle reached her sensitive ears and Yang’s hold tightened briefly, a silent apology. The faunus was hyper-aware of every place that Yang and her were pressing together, as well as the soft sigh her partner let out against her skin.

When Yang spoke again, it was as though the fire from before had been quelled. Her voice was quiet and gentle, her breath was warm on her human ear. “I’m not asking you to stop,” she murmured, sounding reminiscent of a lullaby. The blood in Blake’s ears faded from a roar to a grumble before leaving her completely when Yang pulled back slightly. “Just please… get some rest? Not just for you, but for the people you care about.”

Yang pulled away completely and Blake was already missing her warmth and her comforting embrace. An apology caught in her throat as she looked into those glittering lilac eyes that held back tears. Yang had let her Semblance die down and it was almost shocking how quickly she did. She cared and Blake saw just how much, as well as how much Yang had been hurting because of her.

“Oh, and Huren’s back safe, by the way. I was going to invite her to the dance if I saw her beforehand. I’m pretty sure she’d be happy to see you again,” Yang told her, stepping away and moving towards the exit. Before she leaves entirely, she says over her shoulder, “And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I’ll save you a dance.” That line, paired with a wink that was nothing short of flirtatious, then Yang left Blake to her thoughts. 

Her chest ached with her girlfriend’s departure and she stared at the door she went through. A nagging thought ate away at her mind. Well, several nagging thoughts, if she were being honest with herself. But the first and foremost was that Huren had finally returned. Yang had seen her, or she wouldn’t have mentioned anything about it. 

Biting the inside of her cheek softly, Blake let her mind drift back to the lesser details of their most recent conversation. The concern and care that glittered in Yang’s eyes. The way she held back even with her Semblance active. More than any of that though, she didn’t box Blake in. There was always a way out if she needed it. Nothing but her own interests had her staying and listening. 

A fluttering sensation spread through her chest, as did a great deal of relief. 

_Yang isn’t like Adam_ , she reminded herself. _Yang actually cares… about me. They all do_.


	20. Teetering

With the dance drawing everyone’s attention and the excitement with the upcoming Vytal Festival hanging in the air, it came as no surprise to Huren when she was able to slip around without notice. So long as she stayed clear of the larger crowds and cliques around Beacon, she could scout out the area and search for any unseemly characters. 

After her discussion with Ozpin, she made an effort to look over the student body when she found an opportunity. Occasionally, she spoke with some of the students. Though she mostly spoke with upperclassmen, finding them far more experienced and understanding. More than that, they were invaluable when it came to knowing about their fellow students.

Plus, more people were flooding into town in preparation for the festival, which kept downtown Vale quite lively. The little bookstore had dozens of customers a day, which occupied a good portion of her time.

And when the day would draw to a close and she found herself with a chance to breathe, she returned to a cottage in the woods more often than not. The same cottage she currently found herself in. 

“Lilly, can you hand me the glass cleaner?” Huren requested, reaching her free hand backwards in anticipation. The other hand was helping brace against the window’s frame so she didn’t fall out completely. But she was getting that pesky smudge off the outside. 

Not missing a beat, her friend pressed the requested object into her hand. She sprayed and wiped down the freshly replaced window and leaned back, oddly proud of herself. The project hadn’t taken too much effort. In fact, it had gone faster than she’d initially guessed with Lilly’s assistance. 

Turning her head, she watched the elemental for a reaction while saying, “Good as new.”

For her efforts, she received a warm smile that reached up to her eyes. In the past few days, Lilly had been somewhat quiet and withdrawn in Huren’s presence. She hadn’t complained once or made it known whether or not the room bothered her, but it would make sense. This is where she’d been taken. That would affect just about anyone on a psychological level. 

She didn’t try pressing Lilly about the matter, figuring that if the woman wanted to talk, she would. Instead, she did what she found easiest and kept herself busy. A couple days ago, she even went as far as replacing the carpet to eliminate the possibility of any remaining flecks of glass and to be fully rid of the blood stains. 

There was a certain level of attachment that Huren had to this room she’d been renovating with her friend. Little touches here and there that made it feel more personal. Shifting the dresser so Tueur had a place to rest next to the bed. A hook for her to put her jacket on when she was over. A place just for her. 

She wiped her hands on her jeans and pushed herself up to her feet when Lilly’s voice rang in her ears. “Thank you, Huren, for everything,” her friend said quietly. 

Deciding to keep the atmosphere light, she replied, “Thank you for being such a fantastic cook.” She even went as far as to allow herself a small smirk to indicate her play. 

With everything that happened, Huren didn’t want their interactions to be like when she left the first time since Cinder. That had been too heavy and despite her return, had been too final. Fortunately, Lilly seemed to pick up on her thoughts and offered a smirk in return.

Mischief glinted in her eyes and the sunlight made them appear nearly green. 

_No, bad Huren_ , she growled internally. 

“Well, I’ll have you know, I’m utterly lost without my favourite assistant,” her friend shot back with a wink. The action was bold, inciting warmth in Huren’s stomach. 

How many times had Felis done the same thing to get a rise out of her? Not enough for it to fail inducing the same reaction, it seemed. 

She looked away from hazel eyes, focusing on the rag in her hands. “I’m glad to help out where I can, but let’s face facts. I’m a mess in the kitchen.”

A hand encompassed hers and she looked up to see Lilly smiling sweetly at her. “May as well go make that mess now and so we don’t have to clean it up later then,” she claimed, dragging the both of them out of the room and downstairs.

The change in her friend from just leaving the room was shockingly noticeable. The wind around them picked up, aiding them down the stairs and whispering pleasantly in Huren’s ears. They entered the kitchen and Lilly released her, already busying herself by digging through the fridge for something to eat. “What are you in the mood for, Huren? We can make spaghetti, tacos or Shepard’s pie,” Lilly asked, pulling out the beef that had been slowly thawing in the fridge and throwing it into the sink. 

After turning on the water to help speed along the process, she whirled back around, pressing her back against the counter. Her gaze fixed on Huren expectantly. 

“Spaghetti sounds good,” she murmured, mind drifting despite her reservations.

Something about Lilly’s current position brought a flurry of thoughts to her beyond her control. Pressing her against the counter. Kissing her neck and-. _Stop that, Huren. She isn’t Felis, get control of yourself_ , she snarled at herself. 

It didn’t prevent heat from crawling up her neck.

Lilly didn’t seem to notice her inner turmoil as she smiled and moved to retrieve the noodles and sauce.

Huren chose to busy herself by filling a pot of water and setting it on the stove to boil.

“You know, I’m really glad to have someone like you, Huren,” Lilly said, seemingly out-of-the-blue. Just enough to have Huren freeze in place, still facing the stovetop. Something curled in her gut and she took in a deep, albeit silent, breath. 

By the time she was composed enough to look at Lilly enough silence had passed to make an answer feel more than necessary. Her friend watched her intently, a gentle smile on her face. Smiling back, she replied, “I’m glad that I have a friend like you too, Lilly. You have no idea just how much you’ve done for me.” The words all rang true but one and it stung the most. 

She watched the way it affected Lilly and pretended like she didn’t notice the way the elemental’s eyes fell for just a heartbeat. 

They prepared dinner in relative silence after that, speaking only to give and seek instruction. Then after, when Huren offered to clean up the pasta sauce she’d spilled on the counter while stirring it in with the beef. 

It wasn’t until they were both seated at the table, picking at their plates, that Huren finally dared to say, “I’ve upset you, haven’t I?”

The result was instantaneous in the way Lilly sat up, eyes fixed on her. She read what she could from that gaze. Hurt and surprise. “What do you mean? You didn’t do anything wrong,” Lilly told her evenly, though her tone wasn’t quite as warm as she’d grown to expect. Her heart twisted in her chest. No matter her confusing feelings for the girl across from her, one thing was for certain: she couldn’t lose Lilly too. But she didn’t know how to stop herself from messing everything up. 

“Lilly, please don’t lie to me. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but please don’t lie to me,” she requested as she set her fork down.

Across the table, Lilly bit her lower lip and Huren pointedly ignored the pink that dusted across her cheeks. “I wasn’t lying when I said you didn’t do anything wrong,” she defended, though it was weaker than it should’ve been.

“But…?” Huren prompted, letting her hands fall back into her lap. They went to the hem of her shirt right away, working at the fabric incessantly. 

A pregnant pause. “But, I suppose I am a little upset. Not with you though, please understand that’s not the case at all,” she said, the last half coming across as urgent. Lilly’s accent grew a touch thicker with it, Huren’s hands worried faster. 

She waited silently for her friend to continue. 

“I think perhaps I’ve been reading into some things a bit much is all, and I’m upset with myself about it,” Lilly clarified clearly, unintentionally making Huren’s chest pang. 

Huren could let things go and continue on as if it never happened. She could because she knew Lilly would let her. They didn’t have to press on right here and now. 

But if they didn’t do something now, then would they ever?

Her hands gripped tighter and she said, “Is this about me saying we’re friends?” A moment to draw a breath, steady herself. “Because if you don’t want to be friends, then I understand.”

“You do?” came the response, cautious, but hopeful. 

It made her heart sink, thinking of just how quiet Lilly had been the past few days. Every time they were in the upstairs room together. “Of course, I do. You were kidnapped and hurt because of me. Lilly, I want you to know that you don’t owe me anything, and if you want, I can leave right now.” Even though the thought alone sent sharp pain through her chest. 

“No!” the reply was sharp and loud. Huren flinched back in her seat instinctively. Memories flashed in her mind. Phantom pains raced under her skin. Disobedience, hesitation, foolishness. Broken fingers, bruised ribs, and a slash across her back that should’ve killed her. Her hands curled tightly and she forced herself to control her breathing. Lilly took note of her reaction and took a deep, and apparently very heavy, breath. “No,” she repeated quietly.

The girl set her fork down as well, just on the edge of her plate. “Huren, it’s not that and I don’t want you to leave,” she continued, voice thick with emotion. “You saved my life.”

For whatever reason, the words brought about a strange emotion in Huren’s chest. Along with it came a surge of protectiveness that she usually reserved for Yang. She was going too far, past boundaries she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cross. Her throat was closing to the point she couldn’t draw a comfortable breath. 

_Felis told you that she wanted you to be happy. What better way than just giving in to this?_ a small part of her mind prompted her. 

Fighting back a cry of frustration, she thought, _Lilly deserves better than the mess I’ve become. She deserves someone that looks at her and doesn’t think of someone else_. 

“You don’t owe me anything,” she repeated. Her tone was soft when added, “You do know that, right?”

At that, Lilly seemed taken aback. “Of course I know that, though I technically do owe you for redoing the guest room.” She hesitated before calling it the guest room. 

“It’s still hard for you to be in there, isn’t it?” Huren asked. 

Her question was answered with the sudden stiffening of her friend’s spine. “It’s better now,” Lilly told her. “Huren, can I ask you a question?”

_No_. “You just did,” she replied, smirking and smoothing out her shirt. 

If looks could kill, Huren would be dead ten different ways. “I’m going to take that as a yes,” the elemental said decidedly. “Every time you look at me, you look pained or guilty or you get that far-away look in your eyes. Why?”

_Oh look, the conversation we didn’t want to have with Lilly_ , her mind unhelpfully supplied. Her hands knotted in the fabric of her shirt to distract from the tightness in her chest. Lilly deserved the truth. “Fine,” she finally relented, looking down at the table. “It’s because I look at you and I’m reminded of someone from my past. Someone I lost.”

Thinking of Felis made her chest ache with longing. “Would you like to tell me about them?” Lilly asked softly. 

She was the second person to ask about Felis. Granted, she wasn’t helping Yang calm down about Blake, this time. However, Lilly was most certainly different from Yang and she couldn’t do injustice to Felis’ memory by reciting the same speech even if she could remember it. 

“There’s too much to tell, to be completely honest, and I’ve no clue where to even start. Well, we met when we were kids and did all the foolish things that kids do. As time went on, we grew closer and days of wrestling were traded with splashing in the river before becoming evenings of watching the sun set. 

“Her personality was always so fiery and she always found a way to keep me on my toes,” Huren continued thoughtfully, a dopey sort of smile on her lips. Her hands relaxed minutely, releasing the fabric they held captive. “When she-” she had to pause, throat tightening again. “When she died, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t even know who I was.

“And I see her in everything you do, though I couldn’t tell you why. It’s selfish of me, being around you and seeing her instead of you, I know. And I offer my sincerest apologies for that.”

For a long time, Lilly was silent. Enough time for Huren to regret her words, regret opening up. Saying it aloud made her realize how stupid she was. She was incredibly selfish. And she made it seem like she stayed around Lilly to remind her of her lost love. 

“Huren,” the elemental called, reaching across the table. Looking up, she caught sight of the outstretched hand first, and then Lilly’s tender gaze. “I can tell she meant a lot to you and I’m sorry for your loss. When my father died, I was left feeling something similar. And I’d be lying if I said you didn’t remind me of him here and there.

“Just little things though. How comfortable and warm you make this old place feel, or how content you can be just reading with me in the living room. So, if that makes you selfish, then I’m just as guilty of it as you are.”

Listening to the words brought about a fluttering sensation in her stomach. A sensation that intensified when Lilly said, “Huren, you mean a great deal to me and I just want you to know that what I feel for you goes beyond what I’ve grown to expect from typical friendship.”

Smiling weakly, she asked, “What, like best friends?”

Lilly laughed and the sound was rich and warm, offering endless relief from the heaviness of the conversation. She was still grinning when she said, “Something like that.”


	21. Routine

Huren took great comfort in patterns. She had clung to them as a child, finding it easier to know what to expect from her mother’s “training”. With the chaos of Lilly getting kidnapped, her latest daily rituals had a wrench thrown in them. But after a week, the defender found herself in a new pattern that she quite enjoyed.

Waking up in Lilly’s guest room and taking Tueur for some training exercises in the early morning. Sharing some form of a meal with her friend. Showering and using the time to decide on the objective of the day.

On some days, that entailed cleaning up her little apartment and stopping through every bar in town for the slim chance of running into her uncle, who had yet to make an appearance. Other days, it was working in the bookshop with the old man as more and more customers began to flood in, drawn by the Vytal Festival and interested in all the nooks and crannies of downtown Vale. Occasionally, she would sneak into Beacon using a variety of different methods and report her findings to Ozpin. The man, in turn, would try applying countermeasures for future attacks. 

But she’d been putting off meeting with Blake and Yang again. From what she’d seen on her brief stints to Beacon, they were all intensely busy, burying themselves in new training routines to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Pair that with team RWBY being assigned their first mission as Huntresses-in-Training, there just never seemed to be a good time to stop in. _Soon_ , she promised herself. 

So, most days, Huren would find herself returning to the familiar little cottage in the woods. Occasionally, she’d bring a book from the shop for Lilly to read while she worked out in the yard or made progress on her projects. 

A small part of her recommended that she keep her distance, but it never seemed to work out that way. 

Her muscles burned with exertion as she swung the axe in her hands. It sunk into the trunk of the tree she’d been hacking at for the better part of fifteen minutes now. Making note of her progress as she steadied her breathing, she approximated she’d need another ten or so before the tree finally fell. 

Rolling her shoulders back, she lined up for another swing. It connected with a satisfying _thunk_ that was swiftly followed by another and another. Huren was on track to lose herself in the rhythmic motion when a voice reached her ears and had her faltering mid-swing. “So, are you going to tell me why you’ve been playing lumberjack for so long, or am I supposed to guess?” the playful voice inquired.

_It’s just Lilly, Huren. You can relax_ , she told herself, forcing the line of her shoulders to lower. “It’s training,” she huffed, casting a glance back to catch sight of her friend observing her with a small smile.

Lilly took the response as invitation and approached, staring past for a moment to look at the tree. Almost immediately, Huren found herself matching the smile she’d been offered. The elemental crossed her arms and let out a low whistle as she warmly teased, “I feel bad for the Grimm that challenges you while you’re holding an axe. Your sword seems much more merciful in comparison.”

“Grimm are easier to cut through than trees are,” she replied with a shrug, setting the axe carefully over one shoulder and wiping her brow with her free hand. “Additionally, anything can become easier with the proper tools for the job. I’d never take Tueur to a tree with the intent of cutting it down completely.”

An eyebrow arched, though the twinkle in her eyes ruined the effect. “And why’s that? Because you’d set the tree on fire before it had the chance to fall?” Sarcasm dripped like honey from her friend’s tone and fresh heat bloomed across her face. With any luck, it could be blamed safely on her state of exertion and exhaustion. 

“I’ve been working on controlling my Semblance better. That’s partially why I’m doing this now,” she explained, tilting her head towards the tree beside them. 

Something Huren couldn’t recognize hid itself in the depths of Lilly’s smile. “Don’t mind me, then. Just be sure to come in and wash up after your training,” she said, turning with a wave. 

Huren’s gaze followed her retreating form back to the house until she remembered what she was in the middle of doing. Embarrassment reached the tips of her ears and she cleared her throat before returning to the task at hand. Perhaps it was the small break, or just her second wind, but the tree began cracking and leaning faster than she anticipated. 

It fell in a controlled manner, landing much softer than she figured it would. That is, until a breeze tickled her nose and had her head turning back towards Lilly’s cottage. Huren recognized she was smiling tenderly after a moment and needed another to wipe the expression from her face. The time had come for the next step: removing the branches and leaves. After which would come the process of turning the log into useable planks for her project. 

By the time she stopped working, the sun had gone down and her hands were bright red and angry with fresh blisters. Maybe using her Aura would’ve been smart, but she stopped herself from doing so.

Since the attack with Cinder, she found herself holding back from using her Semblance and Aura when she could. The murky darkness that had briefly taken it over had impacted her deeply, even if when she activated it now, all that greeted her were familiar blue flames. Memories of the power, the rage and the bloodlust stayed with her as a reminder. Someone brought her control back to her last time, but if it happened again, would there still be someone to save her?

Working her hands carefully, she tested their effectiveness and ignored the sharp pain that accompanied her actions. They would be fine, but if Lilly saw them, she’d definitely start to worry. That in mind, Huren summoned just enough Aura so her hands healed in a faint, blue glow. 

“How was training?” Lilly asked, peeking her head in from the kitchen after Huren closed the front door and kicked off her boots. The defender could see the other woman wiping her hands off on a rag. If she had to guess, Lilly had just been doing the dishes, despite the fact that Huren promised to do them once she’d finished for the day. 

Pointedly ignoring the consistent ache in her muscles, she arched her back, reaching high over her head. “It’s nice to get back into the swing of things. I’ve been so busy between Yang and work that I’ve been losing my edge as a Huntress,” she replied easily while shrugging off her flannel shirt. The short sleeve underneath was sticky with sweat and she found herself greatly anticipating a shower. 

“Did you just make a pun?”

Confusion had her blinking and recounting her words. Then, she groaned, covering her shamed expression with the flannel, “ _Back into the swing of things_? Yang has had too great an impact on my life if it’s affecting my diction.”

Fortunately, the elemental just let out a warm laugh and told her, “I’m sure she’d be thrilled to hear that. How about you go take a shower to clear your head of terrible puns? Then, we can figure out what to do for dinner tonight.”

Huren had gotten halfway up the stairs before the conversation fully set in. She stumbled, nearly missing the next step when it did. It had just been so _domestic_. The dynamic she and Lilly shared flowed easily into such simple, playful banter. 

Hand gripping the railing a bit tighter, she forced herself up the last few steps and slipped into the guest room to retrieve her spare clothes. Soon, the bathroom door clicked shut behind her and she let out a breath.

Huren’s reflection regarded her in a careful, yet scrutinizing, manner in the mirror, meeting her as it always did. Her hair was getting long again, she’d need to cut it soon.

Turning on the water and slipping out of the remainder of her clothes, she braced her body for the hot spray. Instant relief as the water hit her skin and a sigh was torn from her throat. Tilting her head up, she shut her eyes and basked in the bliss.

The moment couldn’t last, they never did. 

“You realize you can’t keep running away like this?” his voice interrupted her thoughts cruelly. 

As she ran her hands through her hair, she focused on the tangles she discovered. Carefully picking them apart, Huren repeated the process until deemed it acceptable to begin lathering shampoo into her scalp. 

The apparition didn’t seem particularly pleased with her actions. “You can’t just ignore me, Huren. If you could, then you wouldn’t be able to hear and see me right now.”

Foam blossomed under her fingers in a soothing sensation and her nose picked up the scent of cherry blossoms. Lilly. Huren’s shoulders relaxed and another sigh slipped free.

He phased through the shower curtain, glaring at her with crossed arms. Eyes resembling chips of ice. She let her own drift closed again, leaning into the spray to wash the shampoo out. “She’s in love with you, you know,” he said, in an effort to get a rise out of her. “And you’ll ruin her and get her killed just like you did with Felis.”

If her fingers dug deeper than necessary against her scalp, she didn’t pay it any mind. Instead, her fingers reached blindly for the body wash. Muscle memory aided her in its retrieval and her thoughts drifted gently. How many times had she taken a shower here now? Too many to count as the days blurred together into a shaky pattern that almost resembled normalcy.

“You failed me, you’re lying to yourself and Yang, and you’re going to ruin this little bubble of peace you’ve made. It’s what you’re good at, Huren. All you’ve ever done is destroy everything around you and I’ll be there to watch as it all goes up in flames. For the second time.”

By the time she opened her eyes, he had gone, having said his piece. She finished washing herself in silence, keeping her thoughts in check as she did. 

As soon as the water shut off, she wrapped herself in the towel Lilly kept on the back of the door for her. The soft material worked effectively in getting her dry enough to put on fresh clothes. Fully dressed, she persuaded her hair into looking presentable while examining her eyes in the mirror. They were only a little more haunted than before. 

Adam had been frequenting her again. She did what she could to not pay him any mind, but with the way his words cut as deep as his blade, the job was easier said than done. The only things keeping her mind intact were Yang’s reassurance and hearing that voice dissuading her in her encounter with Cinder. Lilly’s presence helped too, in its own way. Often, she could push aside the guilt and enjoy having something and someone to focus on other than her fragile mental state.

Huren understood firmly that the Adam she kept seeing wasn’t real. The real Adam Taurus thought he’d killed her all those years ago and that offered her some small comfort. 

Her fingers drummed against the sink until she regulated her breathing into a proper rhythm. “You’re going to be okay. You’re getting better,” she said, eyes narrowing determinedly at her reflection. It almost looked like she believed it too. Maybe she really was getting better. 

Eyes falling, she drummed harder. Or maybe not. 

In spite of herself, she ran her hands through her hair, destroying any decency it may have had. Straightening up, Huren gathered her things and left the bathroom. As part of their routine, Lilly didn’t come upstairs while Huren was getting cleaned up. The elemental would often grow tense when Huren opened doors up there. 

After dropping everything off in the guest room, the defender descended the stairs, spotting her friend in the living room. She cleared her throat politely before entering and Lilly looked up from the book in her hands with a warm smile. 

“Your hair’s a mess,” she chastised gently. “Didn’t you comb it?”

Shrugging, she crossed over to sit in the recliner. “I tried to make it look decent, but it didn’t take,” she replied.

Lilly seemed to consider something for a moment. She even went as far as setting her book aside. “Could I brush it?” she inquired. 

The words sent a flutter of panic and something else through Huren. Not that she didn’t trust Lilly, but having her hair brushed would mean voluntarily giving her back to another person. Raven had long since engraved how serious a mistake that was into her. _Lilly wouldn’t hurt you_ , her mind argued. Adam’s earlier words surfaced in her mind alongside the thought and she swallowed nervously. 

Taking note of her hesitance, Lilly added, “But only if you’re comfortable with it! I wouldn’t do something you’re not comfortable with. I just thought I’d offer.”

The panic ebbed at hearing her friend’s concerned tone until the second kind of fluttering was all that remained. “You can,” she decided quietly, stifling the urge to fiddle with her shirt hem. 

It was worth it, she found, when Lilly’s expression lit up and a gentle breeze guided her from her seat to the foot of the couch. “I’ll be right back,” her friend promised, dashing out of the room, presumably to retrieve a comb. 

In her time alone, she fidgeted on the floor and thought back to the last time she permitted anyone to be so close to her. Felis immediately came to mind, but so did an old memory of Divinity brushing her hair out of her face and wiping her face clean of dirt. Thinking of the kind woman that didn’t hesitate to take her in all those years ago made her heart sting with longing. 

Soon, far too soon, Lilly was back, the object in hand and she stood before her. “I’m going behind you now, is this still okay?”

Tears she refused to let fall pricked at the corners of her eyes and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Having gotten permission, Lilly slowly slipped back onto the couch and Huren let her eyes close. 

“I’m going to start now,” the elemental said, giving her a moment to prepare for her touch. She still jolted a bit, but soon relaxed. 

During the interaction, Lilly kept her touch firm, but didn’t press too hard. Just enough for Huren to feel and recognize that it was her. The girl ran the comb through the bottom first and slowly worked her way up, gently coaxing the tangles apart. They remained mostly silent for the duration of the activity, quiet enough for Huren to hear her friend’s breathing and occasional humming. 

The teeth of the comb steadily ran through her hair. While Huren found herself lulled into a place of solace by it, she didn’t protest in the slightest when it was replaced with Lilly’s hands as they gently carded through her dark locks. 

Several minutes passed, or maybe it had been longer, when Lilly finally asked, “Did you have any preference for dinner?”

Huren wasn’t sure she could convince her brain to even begin functioning enough to make that decision. “I’ll enjoy anything you make,” she replied, voice slightly slurred and a dusting of pink rising in her cheeks. If Lilly hadn’t said anything, she likely would’ve fallen asleep there.

Lilly hummed as a means of response, not ceasing in her ministrations. “Were you going back to Vale tonight? You mentioned you were working tomorrow.”

Comfortable as she was, she almost missed the careful way Lilly said Vale. Like she didn’t want to acknowledge it as Huren’s home or even mention her apartment. At the moment, Huren didn’t want to either. But she opened her eyes and leaned back into Lilly’s lap to look up at her friend. Some unreadable emotion met her in Lilly’s gaze. She smiled softly and replied, “If it’s okay with you, I was going to leave in the morning after breakfast.”

“Of course it’s okay with me,” the elemental whispered fondly, pushing stray strands of hair back into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this healing? In one of my writings? Must be a miracle of the seasons. At any rate, take this soft fluff and these useless sapphics as an apology for disappearing for a month. The only excuse I have is I started indulging in a self-insert Owl House fanfic that will probably never reach eyes beyond my own and my beta reader, but you all don't care about that haha. Hope everyone's staying safe and making the most of their holidays despite it still being 2020.


	22. Breach

Huren hummed contentedly as she went about re-shelving the Young Adult section. Business had been flourishing with all the people coming in for the Festival and maintaining their stock was top priority. Or, at least, it had been before her perfectly docile bubble burst. A violent tremor shook the entire store and books fell from their perches. They landed haphazardly on the ground below. Lamps soon joined them and a symphony of shattering glass joined the chaos. 

Flashing a worried glance in the direction of her boss, Huren found the old man clinging to the counter. He seemed confused, but uninjured and she let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. After looking around the store, his eyes settled back on her seriously. A single nod. A wordless command.

A call to arms. 

Within seconds, Huren was rushing behind the counter to retrieve her weapon and racing out the door.

Despite the quake, there seemed to be a distinct lack of panic. She wasn’t going to complain, but she still needed answers. A few citizens were still out and about, talking fervently among themselves. Huren approached them, close enough to pick up on bits of the conversation.

“What do you think that was about?”

“No clue, but it came from the heart of downtown, I’m telling you.”

“I don’t care what you say, Fern. I’m not going anywhere unless Ozpin says something. There was probably just a mishap with some planning for the Festival.”

Before she could interject with any of the questions she’d planned, a chilling howl rang through the air. _Grimm_. Grimm had somehow infiltrated the heart of Vale. This was very bad. Gritting her teeth, she did what she could to keep a grip on her emotions and told them, “Listen to me, I’m a Huntress and I work with Ozpin. All of you need to seek shelter immediately and spread the word to anyone you see on the way to your homes. We’ll be sure to get everything sorted out right away, but be sure to take care of yourselves.” She offered what she hoped was a confident grin and felt her heart thudding harder as she awaited their response. 

“That sounded like a Grimm. A big one,” an old lady commented, her eyes widening with the beginnings of panic. 

_Fix it. Find a way to calm them down_. “Yes, but the Huntsmen and Huntresses already have it under control. So, please help us keep you safe by returning to your homes.”

One of the other people in their group, a lanky man who came up to her shoulder, looked her up and down before nodding in understanding. Relief shot through her as he guided the old woman and the rest of the citizens towards the buildings on the further reaches of town. 

An Ursa roar echoed through the streets and gunfire followed close behind, leaving dread to settle in her stomach. Huren dared to glance up to the sky and caught sight of multiple Nevermore converging on one spot in particular. Her heart twisted painfully when she saw them diving in together on a bright yellow figure. 

“Yang,” she whispered in terror, feet moving faster than her mind as they carried her towards the centre of town. Snapping to attention, she clutched Tueur’s hilt tightly and scanned her surroundings for something to give her a better vantage point. There! 

She leapt onto a dumpster before shimmying up and on the roof of a nearby building, huffing slightly when she righted herself. The vantage point let her see her general destination, but did nothing to ease the knot in her throat. 

Grimm converged in a swarm of black and white on the town square. All varieties wreaking chaos that seemed to flow like waves, tightening on the center of the square to attack a very familiar group of individuals, and spreading out to seek out easier targets. Beowulves slid past team RWBY’s best efforts and broke away from the horde in packs. Some of the other, larger, Grimm followed suit. A new howl drew her focus and a call to action rose in her blood. Even if she tried, there was no ignoring nor denying it. 

Moving swiftly, she launched herself from the rooftop and back to the streets. Huren managed to head off the first of the stragglers and reveled in the adrenaline that pumped through her veins. Her last battle had been so long ago. Or at least one that hadn’t involved complications that made her head hurt and made her question her very being. 

Tueur flew faithfully and sunk deeply into bone plate armor, eliciting sounds of pain and outrage from their victims. Wind whistled over the blood in her ears and her body spun, allowing her to dive under the claws of a Beowulf. 

A fight against monsters that were incapable of higher level thinking? She could handle that. This time, she was prepared. 

Determination burned in her belly while she laid her opponents to waste. Her blade seemed to sing and rejoice with every slash and parry. The last Beowulf fell and she closed in, closer to the square. If she could keep the Grimm contained until back-up arrived then her mission would prove successful. 

The closer she got, the clearer the sounds of combat became. Boarbatusks attempted to mow her down, but she would dodge out of their path and attack their soft underbellies as soon as they uncurled. Sweat beaded at her brow, but she didn’t feel tired in the slightest. A horn blared in her ears and she looked up again briefly.

Airships occupied the overhead and she caught sight of another group of familiar individuals amid the Atlesian knights that cocked their guns. Team CFVY had finally returned from their mission. The cavalry had arrived. Immeasurable relief flooded Huren’s system at the sight, but she quickly returned to the task at hand.

Facing an Ursa Major, she tensed her shoulders and moved to strike, but as focused as she was, she didn’t notice the body careening towards her until it was too late. Her head hit the asphalt before she could think to summon her Aura and a groan slipped past her lips. Blood filled her mouth, bitter and coppery. 

“Oops, that was an accident,” a vaguely familiar voice told her all too cheerily. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to stand in the way of a flying corpse?”

Even though her head was still swimming, she took in the mocha skin and mint green hair that taunted her. Anger filled her while the Grimm pinning her to the ground disintegrated. _Em_ , she thought viciously, shaking her head in a desperate bid to clear it. Sure enough, her vision cleared to settle on Cinder’s crony, who was currently “valiantly” combating the Grimm around them. She moved fast, so fast that it was difficult for Huren to follow in her current state. 

If one of her dogs were here, then Cinder would surely be as well. Her lips curled into a snarl and she summoned her Aura. Them being so close to Yang and the rest of RWBY could only spell out trouble. Bright blue enveloped her skin, easing her pain so she could stand and throw herself back into the fray. Much as she wanted to join up with RWBY and know if they were okay, she had to stop the Grimm from getting out of hand. And now, she had to make sure that Em kept far away from them. “What are you doing here?” Huren demanded, dodging under an Ursa’s swipe. 

A Taijitu hissed at her and snapped a little too close for comfort. Throwing Tueur up, she was able to prevent getting bit, but her skin rose at the sizzle of its venom as it dripped onto the ground below. Whirling, she managed to decapitate the first end and sliced along its belly until reaching the other head. Flames billowed from Tueur and it lit up before corroding away. The Ursa from earlier let out a roar of disbelief when Em sunk her kopis blades into its back. It collapsed, but there were more Grimm to take its place. Huren fought with divided attention, not daring to take her eyes off the other girl for more than moments at a time.

“Fighting Grimm, saving Vale. Just your average day in the life of a Huntress,” came the quip, all snark and bravado in spite of the exertion. 

Huren smashed her shoulder into the chest of a Beowulf before allowing her blade to sink into its neck. It disappeared and she used the momentum to roll forward into her next opponent. Slowly, but surely, the distance between them was decreasing. The defender’s emotions were growing harder to control and that only made the Grimm gravitate towards her. “You’re no Huntress,” she growled, voice dripping with venom. 

The other girl tilted her head back slightly to laugh as though Huren had just told her the greatest joke of all time. In the time it took her to recover, she shot down two more Beowulves. “Oh Branwen, you of all people should know that with the right papers and friends in the right places, you can be whatever you want to be,” Em told her, sparing the energy to arch an eyebrow and smirk at her before dispatching a Boarbatusk. “Hell, with my Semblance, I could even be that blonde _bimbo_ you’re so attached to.”

Snarling viciously, Huren lunged forward, only to be stopped by yet another Grimm. Rage festered amid her irritation and she let Aura explode out from her blade. Black ichor splattered everywhere. Panting heavily, she glared in the direction of the other girl who giggled behind one of her blades. 

A heavy paw slammed into her ribcage, knocking every bit of wind from her. Her flight was painfully short-lived as a tanned leg came down on her spine and the asphalt greeted her once more. Upon impact, the street cracked and sunk in a wide circle. Sparks fizzled around her body while her Aura worked to keep her fighting. 

The other girl continued to fire at the Grimm surrounding them. From an outsider’s perspective, she could’ve been standing protectively over Huren while they were swarmed by the monsters. “I don’t know why Cinder is so insistent on you. You’re nothing special. You’re just a pathetic brat with a temper. But I guess that’s just in your blood.”

Something darker curdled her stomach and turned the blood in her mouth to ash. Fists curled, she summoned her Semblance and relished in the immediate rush of power it sent coursing through her. In one smooth motion, she regained her feet and met Em’s weapon edge to edge. The girl merely smirked again, twirling away and weaving through the Grimm to take out another Beowulf and create distance. 

“So touchy, so many triggers,” Em mused from her position, sinking her blade into the shoulder of an Ursa. Huren had to dive away from a raging Boarbatusk before it hit her. Tueur carved through its armour as though it were butter and she felt the darkness roiling in her begin to spread. 

_How dare she? She doesn’t know the first thing about me! I’m getting better!_

“ _Do you truly believe that, dear sister? Or are you just becoming the same monster you claim that I am_?”

No. Not here. Focus on the fight. 

Em seemed to sense her distress and laughed again, allowing a “wayward” shot to tag her shoulder. There was something deeper than the hate Huren had come to expect from her opponents in the green-haired girl’s actions. But she couldn’t quite name what it was. “As soon as Cinder realizes how useless you are to us, I’ll be sure to do the honors and let you reunite with your long-lost lover,” she said with a grin.

The mention of Felis was enough to make her freeze for just a second, but it was enough for another Grimm to get in a lucky strike that sent her reeling. 

The flames surrounding her intensified with her rage and she hacked wildly at the Grimm until it was nothing but dusty remains. Whatever that dark feeling was crept along her limbs and seared her veins. Huren threw her head back, letting out a scream just as a shockwave exploded outwards and evaporating what Grimm were left. Her legs trembled and the bright blue she’d known all her life burned away, replaced by an overpowering dark purple and inky black. 

Pain and power clouded her mind and her only focal point was Em, the object of her rage. A voice she’d never heard before whispered in her ears, too low to register over the roar of blood. 

Glaring at Em, she used the lull in battle to lunge at the other girl. The cocky image she’d put up drained away with every sweep and slash Huren made until she fell to the ground, weapons several yards away left and right of her. Tueur responded faithfully to Huren’s new power, growling as deeply as she was.

“ _Huren, darling, this isn’t you_ ,” Divinity’s voice pleaded in her head. 

She shook it violently, raising her blade for the final blow. The girl looked up fearfully at Huren. For a brief second, her eyes darted past and softened in relief. 

Something sharp pierced her gut and she hissed in pain, whirling immediately, murder on her mind. Cinder, herself, watched her carefully with a glass blade in her hand and a sinister curl to her mouth. “Lovely to see you as always, Huren. I can’t wait for you to come to your senses and join us, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time to chat right now.” A snap of her fingers. “Neo.” 

The world shattered and they were gone, but not before Cinder threw the blade at her. It sunk deep into her shoulder and she howled in pain. “ _Huren, my love, come back to me, please_.” 

Felis?

Huren whipped her head around desperately, trying to place the voice. 

“ _You’re not a monster, but you have to fight this and prove it to yourself_ ,” the voice whispered in her ears, catching on the wind. A gentle breeze blew over her nose.

As though she had been submerged in cold water, she awoke from her rage and fell to her knees. Tueur clattered to the ground and she clutched at her head. Having rejected the power, the pain seemed to intensify until she couldn’t even see. A silent scream made its way from her lips. 

Lilly’s voice came next. Words she said before. “ _You know, I’m really glad to have someone like you, Huren_.” Tears sprung to her eyes. 

Slowly, too slowly, the pain receded, and with it, the darkness. Her Aura fizzled and died, leaving her feeling weak and dizzy. But she was free once again. She wouldn’t be like Adam. She wasn’t a monster like he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A somewhat timely update? Healing? In one of my stories? Witchcraft, I tell you. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter as we get the ball rolling again, couldn't tell you when the next one will be up. But we're out of season 2 and loosely halfway through this arc. Just know I live for your comments, as they inspire me more than anything else. As always, stay safe in these trying times. Until next time.


	23. Eliminating Distractions

Huren’s mind was an absolute flurry of activity, restless energy and panic blazing through her body. How had Cinder already managed to infiltrate Beacon? Moreover, how had the defender been so blind to the fact that the enemy snuck in right under their noses. Even Ozpin had to be unaware of the fact. 

She should’ve known better than to believe that her sister could’ve been safe. Well, as safe as a Huntress-in-Training could be. Self-hate welled in her chest that slowly, but surely, overwhelmed everything else. This was all her fault and, if Raven were here, the older woman would not only agree, but be absolutely furious with her. 

All that time that she’d spent distracting herself with work and Lilly kept her from her true mission. Something twisted in her stomach like a knife as she thought of the elemental and all of the kindness that she’d shown to Huren in their short time together. 

At the end of the day, it didn’t matter if she got better or not. Yang’s well-being was her priority and she could never lose sight of that again. 

When she deemed herself recovered enough, she made her way straight to Beacon. Her head still pulsed uncomfortably around loud noises and the area where she’d been impaled had grown swollen and warm to the touch, but she didn’t pay it any mind. Instead, she forced a smile and waved politely back to the few students that recognized her. Most of them were content to let her through without any more interaction beyond that of a simply greeting, but there was one team that wasn’t. 

Huren had an awareness that people were around her, but as focused as she was, she still jumped slightly at the arm that slung haphazardly across her shoulders. It took everything in her not to whip around and punch the individual in the face at the sudden spike of pain it sent through her. “Huren, what’s up? Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Coco Adel asked with a laugh, sidling up easily until the fashionista was flush with her side. The second-year peered over her ever-present shades to fix her with a look of amusement. 

Part of her wanted to throw Coco’s arm off and bolt. She didn’t owe them any explanation, nor did she really have the time. But knowing CFVY, it would just turn into a chase across campus and Huren couldn’t guarantee victory in her current state. Still, she couldn’t just tell them she was going to see Ozpin about intruders in the student body. They’d start asking questions and she couldn’t risk everyone panicking and turning against each other. 

So, she just smiled wearily and lied, “I was just headed to the cafeteria. Thought I heard a rumor that they were serving turkey and mashed potatoes today.”

The other three stared at her, seeming to digest her words. Sweat beaded at her neck, but she forced herself not to reach for her shirt or blade, especially when Fox arched a brow upon sensing her nervous Aura. Quickly masking her emotions to the best of her ability, Huren did her best not to wince when Coco’s hold suddenly tightened. “Now that’s an idea!” she exclaimed with an easy smile. “You mind some company?”

_Yes_. “Not at all,” she said carefully, trying to detangle herself from the upperclassman without further aggravating her injuries. Coco’s voice was making the pounding in her head so much worse. Black specks began to dot her vision but she blinked them away. 

Oblivious to her struggle, the fashionista nodded and glanced loosely to the rest of her team. “What do you say, guys? It’s about time for lunch.”

A murmur of agreement spread throughout the group and just like that it was settled. They carted Huren in the direction of the cafeteria which turned out to be in the exact opposite way of her objective. Fox kept mostly quiet while they travelled and Huren could tell he was trying to read what was wrong with her. Meanwhile, Coco decided to turn her attentions back to Velvet, even going as far as sneaking an arm around her waist while they walked. The Faunus certainly didn’t seem to mind the affection, leaning into her as she did. 

Yatsu stood as a barrier between her and the other girls, as stoic as ever. As a whole, they managed to broker some light conversation that Huren steered towards their latest mission. “You guys must’ve just gotten back recently, right?”

“That’s right,” Velvet confirmed with a soft smile. “Though, I can’t say it was the most welcoming homecoming we’ve had.”

As if on cue, Coco let her head fall back while she groaned, “You can say that again, Vel. Like seriously, we were already exhausted from our mission and we didn’t even have time for a nap.”

Huren took the opportunity to feign ignorance and interest. “How do you mean?”

Not missing a beat, Coco launching into a recounting of the apparently _epic_ fray. Her hands flew about in a vast array of gestures while she spoke, occasionally bumping Velvet’s shoulder affectionately with her own. Huren nodded politely along, trying to react at the appropriate moment. The group was convinced, she was sure, except for Fox. Unease prickled under her skin and with his abilities, she knew she couldn’t just hide it, but she could hopefully convince him not to say anything. 

By the time they made it to the cafeteria, the group found themselves sorely disappointed over the lack of turkey and potatoes but gathered their trays anyways. At the table, Huren found herself effectively squished between Yatsu and Velvet. Well, mostly squished by Yatsu but it’s not like the big guy can control his size.

During the course of the meal, he would jostle of bump her shoulder. And each time she had to school her expressions to not betray her pain. 

“You know, I’m surprised I didn’t see you in the fray if you’re also back from your mission,” Velvet commented thoughtfully, pushing the lettuce of her salad around to gather another bite. The rabbit Faunus’ words didn’t go unheard and roused the interest of the table. 

Even Yatsu tapped a finger to his chin and said, “They did request that all those available show up to act as reinforcements.”

Under the combined power of their curious gazes, Huren debated the truth. Though she didn’t dare look in Fox’s direction as she replied, “No one on my team got the message and since I don’t own a Scroll, there was no way for me to find out until it was too late.”

The group stopped staring at her to exchange glances with each other. It’s not like she lied, so they wouldn’t be able to find any falsehood in her statements.

“You sure they didn’t just ditch you?” Coco finally asked bluntly, earning her what Huren had to assume was a swift kick under the table from Velvet considering the scolding look the Faunus wore. Immediately the fashionista’s hands were up in surrender and she amended, “Sorry, geez. I just mean that since we’ve never seen you with your team before that I’d ask. It’s like they always just leave you to fend for yourself.”

_Well, she’s not too far off the mark. What with Adam leaving you, Blake forgetting you, and Felis…_. Huren shut down that train of thought before it could affect her too deeply. The last thing she needed right now was to think about her lover. Eyes were on her again, expecting a response of some sort. With a shrug, Huren poked at the scraps on her plate. “I don’t know, but there’s nothing we can do to change the fact that I wasn’t there,” she stated dismissively, rising to her feet with the tray in hand. “It was nice catching up with you guys though. I’ll see you around.”

Except she wouldn’t. Not if she could help it. Who knows who else Cinder had working for her or under her. Besides, her chats with Fox and the rest of his team were just another distraction on the apparently very large list that Huren had permitted herself to have. _It’ll be better this way_ , she told herself. 

Someone walking past bumped into her back and Huren grimaced before she was able to catch herself. In an instant, she whirled on the culprit to prevent another incident, and quite possibly send them to the hospital wing, only to come face-to-face with the infamous Cardin Winchester. His teammates stood at his shoulders, arms crossed in a weak attempt to appear intimidating. “Hey freshie, you’d better watch where you’re stepping,” he chuckled darkly, arrogance leaking from every pore. 

Needless to say, Huren’s aggression only spiked, but she didn’t have the luxury or energy to pick a fight with him and his entire team. However, it seemed her friend wouldn’t permit that to happen, seeing as how Fox stood and moved to her shoulder. “Why don’t you, Winchester?” he spat the words like a challenge in an extremely uncharacteristic manner. In all the time she’d known him, Huren had never thought of Fox as a confrontational person. Usually all of team CFVY contented themselves with letting Coco pick the fights and call the shots. 

Though, she supposed it was never said she’d stand down in the event that her teammate decided to pick up the slack. Within seconds all of the upperclassmen stood beside her with scowls fixed in place. Huren, while slightly touched at the gesture, was internally panicking as something had to have spurred it. They must’ve seen her reaction and assumed he’d hurt her. 

Without giving anyone else the chance to interject, she tried salvaging the situation by taking a step forward from her protective wall. “Don’t even start with me, Cardin. You’re not worth the time of anyone here,” she said, voice as flat as Blake’s deadpan. A small part of her was rather proud at the reaction she got out of him. An embarrassed flush spread from his cheeks to his ears. 

“ _And let me guess, you think you are_?” She dutifully ignored Adam’s voice crooning in her ear as well as the sharp flare of pain that spawned in her wound. 

Considering the past incidents at attempts he made at bullying Velvet and Jaune, one would think Cardin was rather used to being called out at this point. “You wouldn’t be acting so tough without your little brigade hanging around,” he spat, stubbornly standing his ground. Honestly, Huren was torn between her annoyance at his insistence and her admiration for the sheer density his head must have to believe that this tactic of picking on people he assumed to be weak would work. “Makes sense a pathetic greenie like you would cling to the strongest people you can find.”

Huren felt the foreign impression of a hand creeping over the side of her wound. Fingers danced along the edge, occasionally dipping into the unhealed heart of it. “ _You are weak, Huren. You lost to your mother, to me, to Cinder_ ,” Adam taunted her, the cruelty in his voice only matching the ghost-like touches she felt.

_He’s not real and he can’t hurt you_ , she told herself. “My friends know that I don’t need protecting.” Pointed. Out of her peripheral, she saw CFVY hesitating before tentatively retaking their seats at the table until only Fox remained. Stubbornness lingered in the corner of his mouth, his narrowed milky eyes. “Instead of trying to bully people, why don’t you go work on your insecurities? It would certainly spare you from future embarrassment.”

She knew the type of person Cardin was well enough to put her tray up to block his fist. Despite making it this far in a prestigious institution designed to churn out Huntsmen, his skills were nowhere near close to the level of Qrow or her mother. At her arched eyebrow, the boy threw another punch that missed its mark. Huren slid forward, slipping her lead arm under his extended one and proceeding to force his head down into a choke variant. Maintaining eye-contact and an annoyed expression with the rest of his team, Huren tightened her hold until he clawed at her arm and beat weakly at her legs. 

One of them attempted to be brave by putting his fists up and demanding, “Let go of him!” Judging by his colour scheme, it was probably Bronzewing.

Shrugging only served to increase the pressure around Cardin’s neck, who finally stopped putting up a struggle. “Take him,” she said dismissively, “and quit bothering people in the cafeteria.” With that, she shoved her victim towards the rest of his team before crouching to retrieve her fallen tray. 

They had miraculously vanished by the time she rose back to her feet. Sickness and guilt clawed at her from within, but she did what she had to by stamping it down. They were in her way. “You really showed that brat what for,” Coco praised, reappearing at her side to clap Huren on the back. The defender bit down hard enough on the inside of her cheek to taste copper just so she wouldn’t snap on the other girl. 

“ _You most certainly did. How interesting that you ridiculed and scorned me for preying on the weak when you do the exact same_.”

It wasn’t true. She had to do it to get him to back off. Huren just needed to get to Ozpin.

The hand that had to be a figment of her imagination dug into her stab wound hard enough to make her suck in a breath. “ _Sure you did, Huren_.”

Clenching her jaw, she pulled away from the fashionista. “It wasn’t a big deal,” she managed. “But I need to get going. I was going to swing by the library before it closed.” All of the lies and half-truths only worsened the guilt. She hated the words that escaped her but they were completely necessary. 

If only she believed that.

“I’ve been meaning to visit the library myself,” Fox declared, moving to pick up his tray. Seems his idleness ended when Cardin attempted to confront her. “The librarian told me they’ve recently gotten a small collection of audiobooks in stock.” So no matter what she did, there was no chance that Huren would be able to speak with Ozpin today. 

She resigned herself, not saying anything else as they left the rest of CFVY to dump their trays and head towards the library. Once they got outside the entrance though, Fox walked in front of her and stopped abruptly. “You’re hurt,” he noted, concern and suspicion mingling in his tone. 

Considering the fact that the last time someone discovered she was hurt there was a whole hospital incident and her ending up locked down in a dorm room, Huren was hesitant to admit the fact. Still, Fox would be able to see through any lie she made up which would render that approach rather useless. _Well, maybe see wouldn’t be the best word_ , she mused to herself before cursing Yang for her influence and terrible sense of humour. And at any rate, he’d made it clear from the meal they just shared that Fox didn’t buy her story. 

He arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Well?”

With a sigh, Huren surrendered, “I got into a fight yesterday and got a little messed up. I’m going to take care of it, but there’s something I still need to tend to first.”

While the eyebrow didn’t move an inch, the suspicion decided to slowly dissipate for a level of dry amusement to take its place. “Something in the library?” he asked.

“I need to speak with Headmaster Ozpin and before you ask, no, I can’t tell you what about.” 

Finally, the tension seemed to melt away. Although, she took note of the sort of forlorn air left between them. Fox frowned slightly at her words, but nodded in acceptance nonetheless. “I won’t stop you,” he told her. “But Huren, we’re your friends and you don’t have to lie to us. You can tell us anything and we won’t judge.”

She looked down, finding her worn boots much more interesting at the moment. A hand gingerly rested on her shoulder and she let out a quiet sigh. For a moment, she thought that Fox was going to continue, but the hand merely squeezed her once and the boy let her be. 

Risking a glance up revealed that he slipped inside the library doors. Apparently he hadn’t been kidding about those audiobooks. Either that, or he was covering for her in the event that his team stopped in. 

With lunch drawing to a close, so too was her window of opportunity. 

Ignoring the residual guilt and the ghost of a person whispering in her ear, she finally made her way to the now familiar office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Month of love adds up to month of angst, right? Anyways, hope you enjoy the new chapter just in time for Valentine's Day and sorry for any hardcore shippers that this one wasn't more romantically inclined or very fluffy at all. For my loyal readers, I can only say that it will get better... probably... eventually. And I'm hoping that you find the next chapter I eventually put up to be refreshing.
> 
> As always, lots of love and stay safe. Leave a comment to let me know what you think and I'll do my best to get back to you on it.


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